France to Join the Anti-Daesh Aerial Campaigns In Syria

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

France hinted it will join the anti-Daesh campaigns taking place in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday 16^th September 2015, France Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that the country will embark carrying out aerial bombardments against what he referred to as Daesh targets in Syria which he said they have already identified.

France has already carried out two aerial reconnaissance missions in the Syrian airspace.

France will join the US-led coalition that has been fighting the Daesh or commonly referred to as Islamic State militants targets in Syria and also in Iraq.

SUMMARY

The fight against the Islamic State Takfiris in their stronghold especially in Syria has been faced by intense criticism.

Starting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he complained sometimes in May that the US-led coalition against Islamic State targets are not meant to wipe out the militants but rather a structure for blackmailing and threatening other countries.

Beginning of September 2015, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi termed the anti-Daesh campaigns as a ‘huge lie’ citing that the coalition alliance is sham and selective in choosing its targets.

Nonetheless, anti-Daesh campaigns led by the US have so far been successful. Since 2011, Syria has been gripped by deadly violence with reports saying more than 240,000 people have been killed in the conflicts mostly orchestrated by the Islamic State militants.

France Air Force has been in the forefront in the war against terrorism. The Forces have been staging aerial strikes against Daesh targets in Iraq. US-led coalitions likewise have reportedly increased their air offensives against the Daesh positions since August 2014.