WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is implicitly acknowledging that progress against the Islamic State has been too slow as the extremist group expands its reach with deadly attacks beyond the Middle East.

He vowed Monday to accelerate the U.S.-led military campaign in both Syria and Iraq, and revealed that a group of American special operations commandos has begun working with local fighters in Syria to “tighten the squeeze” on Raqqa, the extremists’ nominal capital. Speaking at the Pentagon, Obama cited this — in addition to intensified bombing of the oil infrastructure in Syria that provides much of the Islamic State’s revenue — as an example of aggressive new action.

The administration announced in late October that Obama had approved sending up to 50 special operations troops to Syria on the first open-ended mission by U.S. ground forces in Syria.

Until Monday, U.S. officials had refused to say whether the American commandos had begun their mission.

As national security takes center stage in the presidential race, Obama also is hoping to counter Donald Trump and his inflammatory remarks about Muslims, which Obama believes endanger U.S. national security.

On a conference call Monday with religious leaders, top White House officials pledged vigilance by the Justice Department in pursuing hate crimes and other civil rights violations, calling an attack on any faith an attack on all faiths. Obama’s aides were also holding separate meetings at the White House with Muslim and Sikh leaders.