Obama: Fight against IS progressing, but still a long slog

President Obama spoke this afternoon from the Pentagon.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama concedes that confronting and destroying the Islamic State group will be a long-term effort, but he says the U.S. and its allies are making progress and have reduced the militants’ foothold in Iraq.

Obama made his remarks after a rare visit to the Pentagon Monday to get an update on the campaign against Islamic State fighters.

He says the United States is doing a better job of preventing large-scale attacks on the U.S. homeland. But he says so-called lone-wolf terrorists or small terrorism cells are harder to detect and U.S. national security must remain vigilant.

He met with more than 30 Pentagon officials and national security advisers, including Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.