US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey on Sunday said security challenges in Syria differ geographically and militarily from those that led to NATO operations in Libya, and intervention would be difficult.

"Syria is a very different challenge," Dempsey said in a CNN interview. "It's a different challenge in terms of the capability of the Syrian military. They are very capable."

Dempsey said Syria has "sophisticated, integrated" air defense system, adding that the country represents a "very different military problem," and "intervening in Syria would be very difficult."

Dempsey said he thinks "the current path of trying to gain some international consensus is the proper path, rather than take a decision to do anything unilaterally," but he will be prepared to provide military options to the US leaders.