Kerry: We can defeat IS within 'months' of Syrian transition

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Islamic State can be defeated within "months" of a ceasefire between Syria's government and moderate rebels, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday, urging the world to come together behind a peace strategy recently hashed out by the United States, Russia and other countries.

Kerry has been spearheading international efforts to broker an end to fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad's government and non-terrorist opposition forces, and a political transition process involving elements of each side.

The thinking is that peace between the government and moderates would allow the international community to focus military efforts exclusively on defeating IS, al-Qaida's Syria affiliate and other extremist groups.

On the sidelines of the Organization for Security and Cooperation event in Belgrade, Serbia, Kerry met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a bid to smooth out tensions that have simmered since Turkey downed a Russian warplane last week.