Paris, France (BBN)-France has carried out its first air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria.
The president’s office said that French planes struck targets identified during reconnaissance missions conducted over the past fortnight, reports BBC.
France co-ordinated with regional partners for the operation, a brief statement said.
French jets have previously carried out air strikes against IS targets in neighbouring Iraq.
“Our country thus confirms its resolute commitment to fight against the terrorist threat represented by Daesh,” the French Presidency said, referring to the militant group by another of its acronyms.
Syria’s civil war explained
“We will strike each time that our national security is at stake,” the statement added.
President Francois Hollande announced earlier this month that he was preparing to send jets to Syria, beginning with a period of reconnaissance to identify targets.
He said at the time that terror attacks had been planned against France from Syria.
A US-led coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against IS in Syria and Iraq for more than a year.
France, like the UK, has previously confined its air strikes against the Islamic State group to Iraqi airspace.
The UK announced earlier this month it had carried out a drone strike against two British citizens in Syria but has yet to fly manned operations in Syrian airspace.
More than 200,000 people have been killed in Syria’s civil war since 2011. Approximately four million have fled abroad, with many attempting to enter the EU.
France’s announcement comes as UK Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to drop his demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad be removed from power to secure peace in the country.
Cameron is expected to make the concession at the United Nations meeting in New York this week in order to secure support in the fight against IS from Russia, an ally of Assad.
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