Minister Lecornu, who was visiting French UN peacekeepers in Lebanon for New Year’s, shared the update on social media. "Our armed forces remain engaged in battling terrorism in the Levant," he posted on X (formerly Twitter). "On Sunday, French air assets carried out targeted strikes against Daesh on Syrian soil."
The French Ministry of Defence revealed that Rafale fighter jets and US-made Reaper drones were deployed to carry out the operation. A total of seven bombs were dropped on two military targets belonging to IS in central Syria, this comes after France demanded Israel withdraw from Syria.
France has been part of the international coalition "Inherent Resolve" against IS since 2014 in Iraq and 2015 in Syria. French troops involved in the operations are stationed in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ongoing conflict in Syria, particularly the unexpected fall of Assad's regime amid a radical Sunni-led offensive, has raised concerns about IS potentially regaining strength. Despite the defeat of the group’s so-called caliphate, which lasted from 2014 to 2019, IS continues to operate in both Iraq and Syria.
In response to these concerns, the United States increased its troop presence in Syria in December 2023, doubling the number of American soldiers deployed to fight jihadists in the region to around 2,000. US Central Command has emphasized its commitment to ensuring IS does not take advantage of the shifting dynamics in central Syria to re-establish its presence.
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