U.N. warns purely military response in Syria could fuel extremism

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Tuesday that a solely military response to the threat of Islamic State in Syria could fuel the radicalisation of more Sunni armed groups and spark more violence.

"Our long-term strategic objective in Syria remains a political solution," Ban told the U.N. Security Council of efforts to end Syria's three-and-a-half year civil war.