(MENAFN- Arab News) BAGHDAD: Iraq's prime minister strongly rejected the idea of the US or other nations sending ground forces to his country to help fight the Islamic State group saying Wednesday that foreign troops are 'out of the question.'

In his first interview with foreign media since taking office on Sept. 8 Haider Al-Abadi told The Associated Press that the US aerial campaign currently targeting the militants who have overrun much of northern and western Iraq has helped efforts to roll back the Sunni extremists.

He also urged the international community to go after the group in neighboring Syria saying the battle will prove endless unless the militants are wiped out there as well.

But Al-Abadi a Shiite lawmaker who faces the enormous task of trying to hold Iraq together as a vast array of forces threaten to rip it apart stressed that he sees no need to send foreign troops to help fight the Islamic State group. 'Not only is it not necessary' he said 'We don't want them. We won't allow them. Full stop.'

Al-Abadi's comments provided a sharp rebuttal to remarks a day earlier by the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey who told the Senate Armed Services Committee that American ground troops may be needed to battle Islamic State forces if President Barack Obama's current strategy fails.

'The only contribution the American forces or the international coalition is going to help us with is from the sky' Al-Abadi said. 'We are not giving any blank check to the international coalition to hit any target in Iraq.'