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Islamic State numbers go down in Iraq, Syria; up in Libya
Driven out?: Smoke rises from Islamic State positions following an airstrike in the Soufiya neighborhood as security forces clearing the area of Islamic State fighters in central Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan
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Driven out?: Smoke rises from Islamic State positions following an airstrike in the Soufiya neighborhood as security forces clearing the area of Islamic State fighters in central Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. More than two weeks after central Ramadi was declared liberated, Iraq's counter terrorism forces are slowly battling pockets of Islamic State militants on the northeastern edges. Commanders on the ground say roadside bombs, bobby-trapped houses and the militant group's use of civilians as human shields are the main factors slowing their progress. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed) (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. More than two weeks after central Ramadi was declared liberated, Iraq's counter terrorism forces are slowly battling pockets of Islamic State militants on the northeastern edges. Commanders on the ground say roadside bombs, bobby-trapped houses and the militant group's use of civilians as human shields are the main factors slowing their progress. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
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span class="inline inline-none">Driven out?: Smoke rises from Islamic State positions following an airstrike in the Soufiya neighborhood as security forces clearing the area of Islamic State fighters in central Ramadi, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. More than two weeks after central Ramadi was declared liberated, Iraq's counter terrorism forces are slowly battling pockets of Islamic State militants on the northeastern edges. Commanders on the ground say roadside bombs, bobby-trapped houses and the militant group's use of civilians as human shields are the main factors slowing their progress. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
New intelligence assessments show that the number of Islamic State group fighters has dropped in Iraq and Syria but is rising in Libya, a senior U.S. defense official said Thursday.
According to the official, reports suggest there are 19,000 to 25,000 IS fighters in Iraq and Syria, compared to an earlier range of 20,000 to more than 30,000.
The newly declassified numbers back up recent comments from military commanders and other defense officials who have argued that the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes are having an impact on Islamic State militants and causing them to lose ground in both countries.
The decrease in Iraq and Syria, however, may explain some of the increase of IS in Libya from a couple thousand to about 5,000.
The official said that military operations in Iraq and Syria have killed IS fighters and made it more difficult for them to move into the region or recruit others. As a result, some appear to be going into Libya, where wide swaths of territory are ungoverned.
The official also said that the intelligence community's ability to accurately count the number of militants has improved, as the U.S. and its partners get more troops on the ground and surveillance in the skies.
The official was not authorized to discuss the numbers publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. (ags)
