Isis News: World leaders to meet in Paris to discuss Islamic State group

Paris is set to host leaders from some of the 60 countries that are part of the US-led coalition fighting to defeat the Islamic State (Isis) militants in Iraq.

The country's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, made the announcement in a speech on Wednesday (20 May) in Paris.

"Along with [US Secretary of State] John Kerry and [Iraqi Prime Minister Haider] al-Abadi, I will be welcoming in Paris on June 2 the members of the international coalition to talk about Iraq," said Fabius, reported France24 News.

"We have to take stock of how the coalition wants to proceed. And the Iraqi prime minister will tell us what the situation is [on the ground]."

According to Fabius, the Iraq crisis will be the "central" theme of the meeting, however it is "not impossible" that Syria will also be part of the talks.

In addition to the world leaders, some 24 ministers, including the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will be part of the talks.

A similar meeting was held in Paris in September 2014 when leaders from around the world gathered to discuss a strategy to fight IS in Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest Isis militants have allegedly entered the ancient 2,000-year-old Syrian city of Palmyra, and seized much of the town, including a hospital.

Palmyra has been described by Unesco as "one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world."