The Pentagon said on Thursday it is too early to say that the US-led coalition was "winning" against the Islamic State, pointing to the group's continued access to financing, volunteers and weapons even after bombings in Syria and Iraq.
"Your question gets at ... How do you know you're winning? And what I'm telling you is, it's going to take us a while to be able to say that," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.
"Even after the hits they've taken and they have been hit they still have financing at their fingertips. They still have plenty of volunteers. They still have plenty of weapons and vehicles and the ability to move around," he said.