US President Barack Obama said on 13 April that the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (Isis) in Syria and Iraq had put the militant group on the defensive, shrinking its territory and striking key leaders.
We have momentum and we intend to keep that momentum, Obama told reporters after meeting with his national security advisers at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The campaign has cut supply lines and financing for the group and shrunk its territory. But Obama said more work still needed to be done to help communities recover.
We will continue to assist Iraq and so must the entire world as it works to stabilise liberated areas and promote governance and development that is inclusive of all Iraqi communities, he said.
He noted an uptick in IS (Daesh) fighters heading to Libya and pledged to help the countrys new and nascent government. There have been more than 11,500 air strikes so far against IS in Syria and Iraq, and the coalition has killed or captured several key leaders in the group. In the days and weeks ahead, we intend to take out more, Obama said.
