US military is bombing ISIS so heavily stocks are running low

Admiral Harry Harris, pictured, told the US Senate, he was concerned about the shortage of basic munitions such as 'small diameter bombs' which impacts the nation's combat readiness. Photo/AP

The United States is running out of bombs to blast ISIS terrorists because of the number of targets getting hit, one of the country's top generals has warned.

US Pacific Commander Admiral Harry Harris has said he needs more munitions to keep up the intensive operations against the terror organisation in Iraq and Syria, according to Daily Mail.

Admiral Harris admitted he has seen much of his inventory of munitions moved to operations against ISIS.

Harris outlined his concerns to a high-powered senate hearing late last week.

He said: "Critical munitions shortfalls are my top warfighting concern. Munitions are a large part of determining combat readiness in pursuit of national strategic objectives.

"We are short in 'here-and-now' basic munitions like small diameter bombs. Our near-peer competitors continue to modernize their weapons systems and leverage new technologies to close capability gaps between us and them.

"We must maintain our capability to operate in contested environments. Additionally, we must continue to expand cross domain fires capabilities and focus on joint integration to strengthen deterrence and enable joint combined maneuver. Priorities include long-range and stand-off strike weapons, anti-ship weapons, advanced air to air munitions, theater ballistic/cruise missile defense, torpedoes, naval mines, and a Cluster Munitions replacement."

Admiral Harris said investment was needed in torpedoes and mines as well as developing systems to defeat incoming missiles.

As well as hitting ISIS in Syria and Iraq, US drones have been blasting targets in Yemen.

Five suspected members of Yemen's Al-Qaeda branch were killed Sunday in what local authorities said was a US drone strike east of the capital Sanaa.

The early morning strike targeted a car in central Marib province that had been transporting arms from Yakla in Baida province.

The official said the car belonged to a known local leader of Yemen's Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which the United States views as the radical group's most dangerous branch.

Sunday's strike comes 24 hours after a similar raid killed three suspected AQAP operatives in southern Shabwa province, which has been a central target of the US military.