WASHINGTON, September 11./ITAR-TASS/.The United States as part of its strategy to combat terrorist group Islamic State (ISIL) “will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq”, president Barack Obama said in his White House address.

Obama also promised the counter-terrorism strategy  “will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil”.

“I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil,” he said.

The US will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq, he emphasized.

“Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are.  That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq,” Obama noted.

The American leader didn’t explain on what legal grounds the United States can begin bombing the territory of a sovereign country (Syria). He just noted that the US as a part of the strategy “cannot rely on an Assad regime that terrorizes its own people”.

“A regime that will never regain the legitimacy it has lost”, Obama said.

Then he added that ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria, and the broader Middle East -- including American citizens, personnel and facilities.

At the same time he admitted that intelligence agencies had not yet detected specific plotting against the US.

The United States will send an additional 475 servicemembers to Iraq.