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France launches air strike against oil sites near IS stronghold in Syria: media

Xinhua, January 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

France has carried out air strikes on oil sites near Rappa, Islamic State (IS) stronghold in Syria, local media reported on Friday.

"I have had the feedback from operations that have been conducted over last night against several oil sites (near Raqqa) and we must continue that logic," said French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, cited by the daily Le Figaro on its website.

The French minister made the remarks during his visit to a military base in Jordan, from which the two Mirage 2000 jets took off early last night to carry out the air strikes.

These are the first air strikes that France launched against IS in the new year, as part of the country's "Operation Chammal", added Le Figaro, citing a French military source in the base.

According to the report, two other Mirage 2000 jets had also carried out a five-hour-mission Friday morning in the region of Sinjar in Iraq, without making any strike.

Since the terror attacks on 13 november 2015 in Paris for which the IS claimed responsibility, France has stepped up its military operations against the IS and continued to provide air support to Iraqi and Kurdish forces.

In total, since the beginning of the anti-IS "Operation Chammal" in September 2014, the French army has conducted more than 388 strikes and destroyed more than 711 targets, said Le Figaro, citing the General Staff of the French army. Endit