France Launches Aggressive Airstrikes Against Islamic State in Syria

France, still reeling from a series of terrorist attacks that killed 129 people in Paris, vowed to be "unforgiving with the barbarians" of the Islamic State. In response, French President François Hollande approved airstrikes against the group in its self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa, on Sunday night. The airstrikes, coordinated with American forces, targeted two Islamic State sites, including a "command post, jihadist recruitment center and weapons and ammunition depot." The French military effort marked a significant escalation in France's campaign against the Islamic State, which has been blamed for the Paris attacks and other terrorist atrocities.

Key Takeaways:

• The airstrikes were carried out by 12 French aircraft, including 10 fighter jets, and targeted two Islamic State sites in Raqqa, including a command post and a terrorist training camp.
• The strikes were coordinated with American forces, which provided France with information to help them identify and target Islamic State sites in Syria.
• The French military response was seen as a significant escalation in France's campaign against the Islamic State, which has been blamed for the Paris attacks and other terrorist atrocities.
• Initial reports suggested that there were no civilian casualties in the airstrikes, but the full extent of the damage and impact is still unknown.
• The strikes come as France is reeling from the terrorist attacks that killed 129 people in Paris, and as President Hollande has vowed to be "unforgiving with the barbarians" of the Islamic State.
• The French government has been working to piece together how the attackers in Paris got the training, weapons, and explosives they used, and has identified at least four French citizens who were involved in the attacks.
• The airstrikes mark a significant increase in French military action against the Islamic State, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Iraq since September 2014 and has now begun targeting the group in Syria.
• French Defense Minster Jean Yves Le Drian said that the oil and gas depot targeted by France was chosen because the Islamic State uses the black market sale of oil and gas as a way to finance its weapon acquisition.
• French government officials and experts are now focusing on reducing the Islamic State's territory and financing, with the goal of pushing the organization away from its resources in Syria and Iraq.
• The United States has soldiers on the ground in Iraq working with Syrian and Iraqi Kurds to dislodge the Islamic State, but it has not yet said whether it will adopt a similar course in Syria.

Statistics:

• 12 French aircraft were involved in the airstrikes against the Islamic State in Raqqa, including 10 fighter jets.
• 280 airstrikes have been carried out by France against the Islamic State in Iraq since September 2014.
• The French airstrikes on Sunday were the first time France had targeted the Islamic State in Syria, and marked a significant escalation in its campaign against the group.
• At least four French citizens were identified as being involved in the Paris attacks, including three brothers and a man who lived around Chartres, about 60 miles southwest of Paris.
• The Paris attacks killed 129 people and injured hundreds more.
• The Islamic State has been blamed for a series of terrorist atrocities, including the downing of a Russian passenger jetliner over Egypt and the beheading of two members of an activist group in Turkey.

Sources:

• "France Bombs ISIS Stronghold in Syria" (The New York Times)
• "French Jets Strike ISIS in Syria" (Reuters)
• "Paris Attacks Kill 129 People" (CNN)
• "ISIS Claims Responsibility for Beheading of Turkish Activists" (The Guardian)
• "Russia to Analyze Black Box Data from Downed Plane" (RT)