France on Friday morning announced it had taken military action inside Iraq, making it the first country aside from the U.S. in the American-organized “core coalition” to utilize airstrikes against the militants with the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS).
A statement released from French president Francois Hollande’s office declared that Rafale fighter jets were deployed in Iraq and “conducted a first strike against a supply depot terrorist organization Daesh,” using Paris’ preferred named for the group. “The goal was reached and destroyed,” the statement continued, pledging more operations in the coming days. “Parliament will be informed next week by Prime Minister conditions of the commitment of our forces alongside the Iraqi armed forces and Peshmerga to weaken Daesh and restore Iraqi sovereignty.” No details were given about the what was contained in the depot.
The attack, as Financial Times noted, marks the first French airstrikes in Iraq in the last fifteen years. Then, France was taking part in a mission to enforce a No-Fly Zone in Northern Iraq with the United States and Britain. The military expansion back into Iraq first began on Monday, a military spokesman said, when French planes first began flying reconnaissance missions over the country.
Speaking before the press on Thursday, Hollande foreshadowed today’s strikes, condemning ISIS’ brutality and pledging to act as soon as targets had been identified. But there was no change of French ground forces being deployed in Iraq, Hollande said, echoing the United States’ oft-repeated policy. He also told reporters that France will “only intervene in Iraq,” ruling out taking on ISIS in Syria.
