France launches anti-IS strikes in Syria

The office of President François Hollande said on Sunday the strikes were aimed at targets identified during surveillance missions conducted since 8 September. “We will strike whenever our national security is at stake”.

France has been firing airstrikes on IS extremists in Iraq as part of the U.S.-led coalition since previous year, but had resisted airstrikes in Syria because it didn’t want to strengthen President Bashar Assad.

France said on Sunday it had launched its first air strikes against Daesh militants in Syria, in an effort to stem its growing presence there.

Sunday’s statement called for a “comprehensive response [to the] Syrian chaos”. In a separate incident, a gunman on a train heading from Amsterdam to Paris was tackled and subdued by passengers including three Americans in August as he apparently prepared to open fire on passengers.

But France has also linked the refugee crisis Europe is facing in part to ISIS, saying it would strike the group for driving thousands of civilians out of Syria.

The operation to “fight the terrorist threat” of ISIL was coordinated with regional partners, a brief statement said.

French jets have previously carried out air strikes against IS targets in neighbouring Iraq.

“Russia supports the regime of Bashar (al) Assad”.

France also planned to hold talks about Syria with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.