The fight against ISIS is expanding its borders.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter stated Wednesday that the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Syria may very well spill over into Afghanistan and Libya. Potentially, this could mean launching airstrikes in countries outside of ISIS’ official terror-tory.

Carter spoke to soldiers of the 101st airborne division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, who are currently preparing for deployment.

“The threat posed by ISIL, and groups like it, is continually evolving, changing focus and shifting location,” Carter said. “That’s why the Defense Department is organizing a new way to leverage the security infrastructure we’ve already established in Afghanistan, the Middle East, East Africa, and southern Europe into a network to counter transnational and transregional threats like ISIL.They help us act decisively to prevent ISIL affiliates from becoming as great of a threat as the parent tumor itself.”

Congress has not formally authorized the U.S. military to attack ISIS, but legislation passed after the September 11 attacks has allowed President Obama to order airstrikes and deploy troops to fight against ISIS. There are currently 3,500 troops in Iraq, and 1,800 more are on the way.