Robert Work, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, speaks at a christening ceremony for the autonomous ship "Sea Hunter", developed by DARPA, in Portland, Oregon before its christening ceremony April 7, 2016. REUTERS/Steve Dipaola

BUCKLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (Reuters) - The U.S. military is dropping “cyber bombs” on Islamic State for the first time as part of a stepped-up coordinated effort that has put increasing pressure on the militant group, Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work said on Tuesday.

“Those guys are under enormous pressure. Every time we have gone after one of their defended positions over the last six months, we have defeated them. They have left, they have retreated,” Work told reporters on a military plane en route to a Colorado air base.

He said U.S. and coalition forces were putting pressure on Islamic State from all directions, using every possible military capability, including cyber attacks, to defeat the group.