The Obama administration has nearly tripled its estimate of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria. The CIA says the group may have up to 31,500 fighters between the two countries, up from an initial estimate of 10,000. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the new numbers don’t change the mission.

John Kirby: “The numbers certainly got bigger, and that certainly intensifies the scope of the enemy that you’re facing. I don’t think there’s a direct line between that and the duration of the conflict or the difficulty of the conflict. Believe me, everybody here at the Pentagon knows what we’re up against and is taking it very seriously.”