France Drops 20 Bombs On ISIS

Posted 2015-11-16 02:40 by Grunt Report

The bombers hit a jihadi recruitment centre, training camp and arms depot run by the extremist group, according to the French defence ministry.

A spokesman described it as a “massive” attack and France’s biggest to date in Syria.

The aerial raid was launched from air bases in United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and involved France’s 12 fighter bombers based there.

It follows Friday’s terror attacks which left 132 people dead in the French capital.

IS fighters said they carried out the gun and bomb massacre – calling Paris “the capital of prostitution and obscenity”.

Sky’s Sam Kiley, in northern Iraq, said the French airstrikes should not be seen as a “wanton act of revenge” or carpet-bombing campaign.

“I think it’s very clear that the French and the wider coalition have decided in a sense to give France the iron fist at least for the next 24 hours or so,” he said.

“The coalition has a number of targets of opportunity, targets provided by intelligence.

“The scale of these French airstrikes should not be seen as a wanton act of revenge, but really the French basically saying to their allies, ‘we want to do all of the airstrikes’ over the next period of time – however long that may be.”

Kiley added: “I think essentially what’s gone on here is the coalition have said ‘this is your turn to hit back as France rather than as the coalition’.

“But I don’t think this should be seen as some kind of carpet-bombing campaign.

“These are extremely precise airstrikes that are carried out after exhaustive legal processes required under French and international law.”