The air raid marks the first such operation since the removal of Bashar Assad from power earlier in December.
French airstrikes targeting Islamic State (IS) positions in Syria were carried out over the weekend, as confirmed Tuesday by Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu. This action follows the ousting of former Syrian President Bashar Assad by a coalition of armed opposition groups, led by Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS).
“On Sunday, French air forces conducted targeted strikes against Daesh sites in Syria,” the minister announced on X, employing the Arabic acronym for ISIS. He also shared a video depicting the military operation. “Our armed forces remain committed to combating terrorism” in the region, Lecornu stated.
A brief video released by the minister begins with footage of a French military pilot preparing for the mission, followed by aerial views of what seems to be a small desert camp being bombed. The French defense ministry informed AFP that French Rafale fighter jets and American Reaper drones “dropped a total of seven bombs on two Daesh military targets in central Syria.”
Nos armées restent engagées dans la lutte contre le terrorisme au Levant.
Elles contribuent à la coalition internationale “Operation Inherent Resolve” (OIR), depuis 2014 en Irak et 2015 en Syrie.
Dimanche, des moyens aériens français ont procédé à des frappes ciblées contre des…
— Sébastien Lecornu (@SebLecornu)
France has participated in Operation Inherent Resolve – a US-led coalition countering terrorism in Syria and Iraq – since 2014 in Iraq and 2015 in Syria. The US has maintained a military presence in Syria’s oil-rich regions for several years.
In mid-December, the Pentagon reported a rise in US military personnel stationed at Middle Eastern bases to 2,000, from a previous count of 900. This increase was attributed to “the situation in Syria and the significant interest,” according to Pentagon spokesperson, Air Force Major General Pat Ryder.
Bashar Assad’s government repeatedly accused the US of illegal troop deployment and claimed America was primarily “stealing oil” from the country. In August 2022, Syrian and Russian officials alleged that US-affiliated groups were illegally exporting up to 66,000 barrels of oil daily.
Early December saw Assad’s forced resignation and subsequent flight from the country, seeking asylum in Russia. This followed a rapid offensive by various armed opposition groups, led by HTS, which quickly seized significant Syrian territory, including Damascus.