Portugal will be part of the international coalition combating the Islamic State (IS), said the country's Defence Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco.

"Combatting Islamic 'jihadi' terrorism is a responsibility of the civilized Western world," Branco said in the northern city of Porto, reported the Portuguese News Agency Lusa.

He added that "at the right time" it would become clear what Portugal's assistance would involve and that cooperation could be provided in a number of ways including "intelligence training or humanitarian assistance."

U.S. warplanes started a bombing campaign against IS targets in Iraq on Aug. 8 and Syria on Sept. 22, with separate help from France and Arab nations.

A NATO summit in Newport, Wales earlier this month put IS at the top of the organization's agenda.

Portugal was a founding member NATO when it was set up in 1949.

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