Updated

The new commander of the U.S. Special Operations Command says an international coalition of special forces fighting Islamic State extremists must cooperate more closely and "adapt faster than the enemy."

Army Gen. Raymond Thomas told an international military conference in Jordan that "gaps and seams created by (national) boundaries ... have provided trans-regional terrorist organizations with maneuver space that needs to be addressed."

Thomas said Monday that cooperation with special forces from Nigeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Indonesia will become more important in the battle against IS.

He says other countries in the region, including Jordan, are already part of a special forces network. Jordan borders Syria and Iraq, where IS controls large chunks of territory.

Monday's conference precedes a bi-annual international defense exhibition in Jordan known as SOFEX.