Washington (CNN) -- With approval in hand to arm and train Syrian rebels to fight the ISIS terror group, President Barack Obama said Thursday the plan keeps with "the key principle" of U.S. strategy: No American combat troops on the ground. "The American troops deployed to Iraq do not and will not have a combat mission," he said in televised remarks from the White House. "Their mission is to advise and assist our partners on the ground. ...We can destroy ISIL without having our troops fight another ground war in the Middle East." Obama said more than 40 countries, including Arab nations, have offered assistance in the battle against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which calls itself the Islamic State.
@highlight
NEW: French President says France has carried out its first airstrikes against ISIS
@highlight
President Barack Obama says more than 40 countries have offered assistance
@highlight
The U.S. military has approved a plan to strike ISIS in Syria, officials said
@highlight
ISIS captured 16 villages in northern Syria in the past day, opposition group says
The list is expected to be shown to @placeholder one more time, U.S. military officials said.