French Aircraft Carriers Launch First Anti-’ISIS’ Missions

Local Editor

Military jets from France's Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on Monday flew their first missions over "ISIS"-controlled territories in Syria and Iraq, carrying out their first airstrikes.

The jets have hit two "ISIS" targets in Iraq, the French military said on Twitter.

The presence of 26 military aircraft aboard the Charles de Gaulle triples French forces in the region, adding to the 12 planes already stationed in the UAE and Jordan: six Rafale and six Mirage 2000 aircraft.

Furthermroe, the Charles de Gaulle, France's only aircraft carrier, was deployed in the Mediterranean on Saturday.

The French Defense Ministry said that "Warplanes took off from the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean and attacked "ISIS" targets in Iraq and Syria."

The start of the French military mission comes 10 days after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris that were claimed by "ISIS."

Eventually, France then pledged to "redouble and coordinate" its moves against the terrorist group. French President Francois Hollande said: "We will intensify our strikes; we will choose targets that will do the most damage possible to the terrorist army."

In a related context, the Russian and French military have begun cooperating in the region, exchanging data, after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to work with the French as "with allies."

The UK had also offered its assistance, saying the French Air Force can use RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to mount airstrikes against "ISIS" targets in Syria.

The British Prime Minister David Cameron said that London would do its upmost to help out the French.

"The United Kingdom will do all in our power to support our friend and ally France to defeat this evil death cult," he said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team