By Jake Anderson at theantimedia.org
Fulfilling his promise to launch a swift and “merciless” military response to the 11/13 terror attacks in Paris, on Sunday French President Francois Hollande targeted ISIS sites in Raqqa, an Islamic State stronghold. Less than two days after the attacks, the nation coordinated with U.S. forces to unleash a flurry of fighter jet bombings that, according to activists on the ground in Raqqa, have cut power and electricity and created “panic” in the city.
According to the French Ministry of Defense,
“The raid … including 10 fighter jets, was launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs were dropped.”
“The first target destroyed was used by Daesh (another Arabic acronym for IS) as a command post, jihadist recruitment centre and arms and munitions depot. The second held a terrorist training camp,” the statement from the French defense minister continued.
President Francois Hollande declared on Saturday that the attacks on Paris were an “act of war” and pledged that a “united France” would lead a “pitiless war” of retribution.
In recent months and years, the French have carried out thousands of military strikes on Iraq but have failed to contain ISIS jihadists. The French government’s retaliation against the terror strikes, which so far have claimed 130 lives, mark the nation’s biggest attacks against Syria to date.
So far, there is no confirmation on the number of casualties.
#BREAKING French air force pounds IS stronghold in Syria, defence ministry says
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) November 15, 2015
1-#Raqqa some of the places that the Airstrikes targeted 1-Stadium 2-Foresa area 3-Museum 4-Clinics Hospital 5-Political building #Syria
— الرقة تذبح بصمت (@Raqqa_SL) November 15, 2015
