 |
| French military jets participating in an offensive in Syria (Image: Al-Arabiya) |
Reuters,Al-Arabiya - PARIS: French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria
to date targeting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) stronghold in
Raqqa just two days after the group claimed coordinated attacks in Paris that
killed more than 130 people, the defence ministry said.
“The raid ...
including 10 fighter jets, was launched simultaneously from the United Arab
Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs were dropped,” the statement said, adding
that the mission had taken place this evening.
The operation,
carried out in coordination with U.S. forces, struck a command center,
recruitment center for extremists, a munitions depot and a training camp for
fighters, it said.
ISIS has claimed
responsibility for Friday's suicide bombings and shootings, which have
re-ignited a row over Europe's refugee crisis and drawn calls to block huge
arrivals of Muslim asylum-seekers.
French police
have launched an international hunt for a Belgian-born man they believe helped
organize the assaults with two of his brothers. One of the brothers died in the
attacks, while the second one is under arrest in Belgium, a judicial source
said.
A further two
French suicide attackers have been identified, police said, while the identity
of four other assailants, who all died in the violence, was still under review.
France has been
bombing ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria for months as part of a U.S.-led
operation. Following Friday's mayhem, Paris vowed to destroy the group.
Underlining its resolve, French jets on Sunday launched their biggest raids in
Syria to date, hitting its stronghold in Raqqa.
There was no
word on casualties or the damage inflicted.
No comments:
Post a Comment