Updated

Secretary of State John Kerry says he's confident about the fight against the Islamic State group, despite the setbacks like the loss of Ramadi.

Kerry, who is traveling through Korea, says that he's long said the fight against the terrorist group would be a long one, and that it would be tough in the Anbar province of western Iraq where Iraqi security forces are not built up.

He said that Ramadi was a "target of opportunity" but he's confident that in coming days that can be reversed.

Ramadi fell to the Islamic State group on Sunday, as Iraqi forces abandoned their weapons and armored vehicles to flee the provincial capital in a major loss despite intensified U.S.-led airstrikes.