In a statement issued on Sunday, the French Government confirmed launching its first air strikes on specified Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria’s Palmyra region. “We is going to find when which our us intrusion sits at shareholder”, the French Presidency said in an allegation.
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“More than ever it is urgent to set up a political transition that brings together elements from the regime and the moderate opposition”, it added.
The president’s office said the strikes hit targets identified during reconnaissance missions conducted over the past fortnight, AFP reported.
Hollande’s office said that “France has hit Syria” based on information from French reconnaissance flights sent earlier this month. But it previously held back on engaging in Syria, citing concern over playing into Assad’s hand and the need for such action to be covered by worldwide law.
Officials now evoke “legitimate defence” as spelled out in the UN Charter to support strikes in Syria.
France has been rocked by several high-profile terrorist attacks this year, including an attack against the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, and other related attacks, which saw at least 15 people killed by Islamist gunman, and many others wounded. “We are acting in self-defense”, Valls said, using an Arabic name for Islamic State.
Russia’s engagement in Iraq could mean increased competition for Washington from a Cold War rival as long-time enemy Iran increases its influence through Shi’ite militia allies just four years after the withdrawal of US troops.
However analysts say that by sending fighter jets to Syria, France is mainly seeking to ease domestic political pressure, and remain relevant overseas in the latest scramble for a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
“But we must all act in unison and have a formula that is required to drive out the terrorists, immediately”, he told NPR radio.
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Mr Hollande announced on September 7 that France would start air strikes, days after the photo of a dead 3-year-old Syrian boy galvanised public concern about Syrian refugees.
