The United States unleashed a new round of bombings on Islamic State targets in Syria on Wednesday as President Barack Obama recruited more allies to fight the jihadist "network of death."

US, Saudi and Emirati warplanes broadened their bombardment to target the oil fields in eastern Syria that have helped fund the jihadist group's brutal rise from rebel faction to alleged global threat.

The strikes came as Obama urged leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly to join his coalition and convinced the Security Council to back a resolution to stem the flow of foreign fighters.

Belgium and the Netherlands committed warplanes to Iraq and Britain said its parliament would vote Friday on following suit.

"The United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," Obama told the UN about the Islamic State group, which has grabbed vast areas of Iraq and Syria.

"Today I ask the world to join in this effort."

Meanwhile, an IS-linked group in Algeria which had demanded France halt its participation in the strikes posted video footage of the execution of an abducted Frenchman.

"We will use our military might in a campaign of air strikes to roll back ISIL," Obama declared, using the acronym for the former Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, since renamed the Islamic State.

Overnight Tuesday to Wednesday, US air raids targeted IS fighters threatening the Kurdish regional capital in Iraq and damaged eight militant vehicles operating in eastern Syria near the Iraqi border.

Then as night fell again on Wednesday, Arab jets joined the US-led bombardment again -- as they had on Monday -- as the target list was expanded to include economic assets.

"These operations are ongoing so we will not provide additional details at this time," Rear Admiral John Kirby said.

Militant-held oil facilities were among the targets attacked in Syria, two US defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

Alongside US aviation and cruise missiles, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan have hit targets in Syria and France in Iraq. Qatar is providing logistical support.

At the United Nations, Obama and French President Francois Hollande led international condemnation of the murder of the French hiker, 55-year-old Herve Gourdel, by the IS-linked Jund al-Khilifa.

Paris opposed the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq but has sent Rafale fighters into action over Iraq -- but not to the parallel campaign in Syria -- and Hollande vowed not to give in to the IS group.

- French hostage killed -

"The fight against terrorism must continue and be stepped up," Hollande said.

IS militants in Syria had already killed two American journalists and a British aid worker, but Gourdel's death was the first at the hands of an allied group outside the core area since the US campaign began.

Obama said the United States stood with France and chaired a UN Security Council meeting which unanimously adopted a binding resolution to turn back the flow of foreign fighters heading to Iraq and Syria.

It requires all countries to adopt laws that would make it a serious crime for their nationals to join jihadist groups such as Islamic State and Al-Nusra Front, or risk economic sanctions or military action.

Jordan's King Abdullah II, whose country is sheltering nearly 1.4 million Syrians, told the UN General Assembly there had to be a collective strategy to defeat militants who threaten global security.

In their capitals, Belgium and the Netherlands said they would each send six F-16 fighter bombers to join the air campaign in Iraq.

Apart from the F-16s, the Netherlands will also deploy 250 military personnel and 130 trainers for the Iraqi military.

The Belgian parliament must still approve the move, which follows a formal request from Washington on Tuesday, Defense Minister Pieter De Crem said.

On the sidelines of the assembly, Prime Minister David Cameron said the British parliament would hold an extraordinary session on Friday to vote joining the strikes, as requested by Baghdad.

- Al-Nusra evacuating bases -

US aircraft have carried out 198 air strikes against the jihadist group in Iraq since August 8 and more than 20 in Syria since Monday.

Al-Qaeda's Syrian branch, the Al-Nusra Front -- an IS rival that has also been targeted -- said it was evacuating its bases and positions in the northeastern Syrian province of Idlib.

In New York, Obama hailed the "political vision" and inclusive nature of new Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi as the two leaders met for the first time.

He used his talks with Abadi to portray the new prime minister as the right kind of leader for Iraq as it struggles to expel radicals from the Islamic State group from its territory with the help of US strikes.

US gains more support for anti-jihadist coalition
Washington (AFP) Sept 24, 2014 - The United States has harnessed more support for an international fight against Islamist extremists in Iraq and Syria.

With President Barack Obama on Wednesday urging the world to unite to defeat the jihadist "network of death," dozens of nations have now answered the call, some in the form of new air strikes in Syria.

Jihadists from the Islamic State group have murdered thousands and declared a Muslim caliphate.

More than 50 countries -- mainly Western powers or Middle Eastern allies -- have committed to form a bulwark against the movement, the State Department said.

Gulf states Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates took the spotlight Tuesday when they participated in US-led air strikes against IS forces in Syria.

Jordan joined the fight Wednesday, its warplanes carrying out a bombing raid in Syria.

Thirty of the participating states and organizations took part in a Paris conference this month and agreed to support the Iraqi government "by any means necessary."

Even though Iran and the United States support Iraqi forces fighting IS, Tehran and Washington have both said they will not cooperate with the other. Syria is also a non-participant.

Military Assistance:

In addition to bombings in Syria, the United States has conducted 198 air strikes against IS targets in Iraq since August 8 and it has more than 800 military personnel to safeguard its Baghdad embassy and to assist Iraq's army.

It is talking with Iraq's new government about "accelerating efforts," including additional training and equipping of Iraqi Security Forces.

Britain's parliament stood poised to vote Friday on whether to join in the air strikes, Prime Minister David Cameron said Wednesday after his Iraqi counterpart Haidar Al-Abadi requested the action.

Leaders of Britain's main parties have indicated their support.

London has also committed to ship �1.6 million ($2.6 million) in heavy machine guns to Kurdish forces.

France launched its first air strike Friday against IS positions in Iraq. Paris had already begun reconnaissance flights and sent weapons to Kurds fighting IS, a decade after it famously refused to back the US-led invasion of Iraq.

But President Francois Hollande was clear France would not intervene in Syria.

Belgium and the Netherlands committed F-16s jets to the effort Wednesday, but senior officials in both countries stressed deployments would be limited to Iraq.

"The Netherlands will make six F-16s available for the first phase of the campaign, for one year," Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher said.

Canada has deployed 69 special forces soldiers to Iraq to advise and assist security forces, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper said he may scale up Canada's anti-terror fight after IS threatened attacks on Canadians.

Australia's military transport planes have delivered weapons to Kurdish forces. Canberra insists it will not send combat soldiers to Iraq, but would deploy 600 troops to United Arab Emirates, a regional Washington ally.

The Czech Republic has offered weapons to the Iraqi army and training to Kurdish forces.

Germany said it will provide military equipment and aid to Kurds, but on Sunday it ruled out participating in air strikes or any ground offensive against IS.

Albania, Italy and Poland have sent military equipment to Kurdish forces, and Warsaw also delivered tons of assistance to Christian and Yezidi refugees via its C-130 aircraft.

Estonia is donating one million artillery shells and Denmark's parliament has authorized its planes to resupply Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

The Philippines is prepared to "do its part" in an alliance, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario told AFP, but no further details have been given.

Humanitarian aid:

Japan has committed $7.8 million in aid through the UN humanitarian office OCHA and has pledged to assist the new Iraqi government.

Switzerland has pledged more than $10 million in aid to OCHA. Norway committed $6 million, Denmark $3.8 million and Australia $4.6 million.

Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, South Korea and Spain have also pledged assistance.

Turkey is providing 100 truck loads of aid and a refugee camp near the Iraqi border. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday Ankara could provide military or logistical support for the anti-IS campaign.

The Gulf states:

A crucial element to the coalition are Arab and Gulf states, and at least 10 Arab nations have agreed to back the coalition.

Several Gulf oil monarchies, fearing jihadist threats at their doorsteps, joined the US in air strikes Tuesday, with Jordan flying sorties Wednesday.

Saudi Arabia, whose highest religious authority branded IS Islam's "number one enemy," has committed $500 million to the UN refugee agency, according to the State Department.

Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, is also providing logistical support. Kuwait, which has contributed $10 million in humanitarian assistance, could also lend use of its military facilities.

Oman has pledged "to play its part" in the battle against IS, without giving details.

Qatar tightened rules on charities that send money abroad or receive foreign financing, and its Al-Udeid Air Base hosts Centcom, the US military command responsible for the Middle East and Central Asia.

Regional US ally Egypt has said it will support Washington's efforts to repel IS, but Cairo said its involvement "must be under a UN mandate."