to accelerate isil s defeat. the reality is we re at war. that s how our troops feel about it. because they re taking the fight to isil every day. applying the might of the finest fighting force the world has ever known. in northern syria, local forces with our support are fighting along the line, engaging isil in the last remaining pocket of access into turkey. mean whi meanwhile, our fighting along forces and have recaptured important terrain most recently pushing isil out of a town and at least 900 square kilometers of surrounding territory. they re now focused on moving south to isolate isil s so-called capital of raqqah. with the ultimate objective of