Washington: A CIA assessment puts the number of ISIS fighters at possibly more than three times the previous estimates. The terror group that calls itself the Islamic State “can muster between
20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria, CIA spokesman said.
The spokesman said, this new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity and additional intelligence.
The news came a day after President Barack Obama laid out his plan to “dismantle and ultimately destroy” ISIS, including authorizing airstrikes. Mass executions and videotaped beheadings, including those of two American journalists; have led to the push for a broader counterterrorism mission, including possible airstrikes in civil war-torn Syria.
The United States “will take action at a time and place” of its choosing, a third official said. But while a broader campaign is not imminent, the officials — who all spoke on condition of anonymity — said the military can strike at any time if there is a target of opportunity.
Bureau Report
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