President Barack Obama says the United States military and allied forces are hitting the Islamic State group harder than ever.

Obama says the group's leaders cannot hide, and the group is losing territory. Obama also says the US strategy of hunting down leaders, training forces and stopping the group's financing and propaganda is progressing.

The president made the remarks after meeting with his national security team at the Pentagon on Monday.

The rare meeting outside the White House is part of a public relations drive to ease Americans' worries about domestic terrorism ahead of the holidays.

Obama is making the case for his broad counterterrorism strategy, including his ongoing campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.