France announces strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria
France has announced airstrikes targeting Islamic State positions in Syria, marking the first operation of its kind since the removal of President Bashar Assad. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
The French air force conducted airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria over the weekend, as confirmed by Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday. This marks the first operation of its kind since the removal of former Syrian President Bashar Assad by a coalition of armed opposition groups led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham earlier in December.
“On Sunday, French air assets carried out targeted strikes against Daesh sites on Syrian soil,” Lecornu stated on X, referencing the Arab acronym for ISIS. He also shared a video showcasing the military operation, emphasizing, “Our armies remain engaged in the fight against terrorism” in the region.
The short clip released by the minister begins with footage of a French military pilot preparing for the mission, followed by aerial visuals of what appears to be a small desert camp being bombed. According to the defense ministry in Paris, French Rafale fighter jets and American Reaper drones “dropped a total of seven bombs on two military targets belonging to Daesh in central Syria.”
France has been a participant in Operation Inherent Resolve, a US-led coalition focused on combating terrorism in Syria and Iraq, since 2014 for operations in Iraq and since 2015 for those in Syria. The United States has maintained a military presence in Syria’s oil-rich regions for several years.
In mid-December, the Pentagon reported a significant increase in the number of US military personnel deployed in Syria, raising the count to 2,000, up from a previously reported 900. This increase was attributed to “the situation in Syria and the significant interest,” according to Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Pat Ryder.
Bashar Assad's government has consistently accused the US of illegal troop deployment in Syria, asserting that America is primarily “stealing oil” from the nation. In August 2022, officials from Syria and Russia alleged that US-affiliated entities were illegally exporting up to 66,000 barrels of oil daily from the country.
In early December, Assad was compelled to step down from his presidency and flee Syria, ultimately seeking asylum in Russia. This decision followed a rapid offensive by several armed opposition groups led by HTS, which managed to capture significant territories across Syria in just a few days, leading to the seizure of the capital, Damascus.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
“On Sunday, French air assets carried out targeted strikes against Daesh sites on Syrian soil,” Lecornu stated on X, referencing the Arab acronym for ISIS. He also shared a video showcasing the military operation, emphasizing, “Our armies remain engaged in the fight against terrorism” in the region.
The short clip released by the minister begins with footage of a French military pilot preparing for the mission, followed by aerial visuals of what appears to be a small desert camp being bombed. According to the defense ministry in Paris, French Rafale fighter jets and American Reaper drones “dropped a total of seven bombs on two military targets belonging to Daesh in central Syria.”
France has been a participant in Operation Inherent Resolve, a US-led coalition focused on combating terrorism in Syria and Iraq, since 2014 for operations in Iraq and since 2015 for those in Syria. The United States has maintained a military presence in Syria’s oil-rich regions for several years.
In mid-December, the Pentagon reported a significant increase in the number of US military personnel deployed in Syria, raising the count to 2,000, up from a previously reported 900. This increase was attributed to “the situation in Syria and the significant interest,” according to Pentagon spokesman Air Force Major General Pat Ryder.
Bashar Assad's government has consistently accused the US of illegal troop deployment in Syria, asserting that America is primarily “stealing oil” from the nation. In August 2022, officials from Syria and Russia alleged that US-affiliated entities were illegally exporting up to 66,000 barrels of oil daily from the country.
In early December, Assad was compelled to step down from his presidency and flee Syria, ultimately seeking asylum in Russia. This decision followed a rapid offensive by several armed opposition groups led by HTS, which managed to capture significant territories across Syria in just a few days, leading to the seizure of the capital, Damascus.
Sanya Singh contributed to this report for TROIB News
