DHAKA: The US House of Representatives has approved President Barack Obama's plan to train and arm the moderate Syrian opposition taking on Islamic State.

The vote passed by a large majority in the Republican-controlled House and is expected to be adopted in the Senate.

The endorsement came after President Obama repeated that he would not be committing American combat troops to ground operations in Iraq.

The US has undertaken 174 air strikes against IS in Iraq since mid-August.

The jihadist group controls large areas of Syria and northern Iraq, reports BBC.

In the most recent air strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday, US forces destroyed two IS armed vehicles north-west of Irbil and several units south-west of Baghdad, according to US Central Command (Centcom).

Obama's new strategy plans similar attacks in Syria and calls on a coalition of 40 countries to confront the militant group.

BDST: 1055 HRS, SEP 18, 2014