French Rafale Jets Bomb Several ISIS Targets in Syria

The French Air Force conducted airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria on Sunday as part of the U.S.-led Operation Inherent Resolve, French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced. The strikes, coordinated with coalition forces, aimed to disrupt ISIS activities in the region.

Lecornu shared footage of the operation on social media platform X, emphasizing France’s ongoing commitment to the coalition’s mission against ISIS, known in Arabic as Daesh. “On Sunday, French air forces carried out targeted strikes against Islamic State sites based on Syrian territory,” Lecornu posted.

The French Ministry of Defense confirmed that fighter jets, supported by U.S. drones, targeted two ISIS installations in central Syria. According to an official statement to the media, the strikes involved the deployment of seven precision-guided bombs.

The operation marked France’s first airstrike in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime earlier this month. It followed a recent U.S. airstrike in Syria, which reportedly killed two ISIS operatives.

A statement from France’s General Staff of the Armed Forces noted, “The commitment of France and coalition partners in the fight against Daesh remains resolute.”

Syria has entered a period of political uncertainty after the Islamist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted President Bashar al-Assad on December 8. HTS, which led a coalition of rebel groups, brought an end to a 13-year civil war but raised concerns about Syria’s stability.

Foreign powers, including Turkey, Russia, and Western coalition members, hold vested and potentially conflicting interests in Syria. This geopolitical complexity has underscored the need for international efforts to prevent groups like ISIS from exploiting the power vacuum.

France’s Role in Operation Inherent Resolve

France has been a long-standing partner in the U.S.-led coalition, which supports local forces such as the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in combating ISIS. The coalition provides training, intelligence, and air support to its partners in Syria and Iraq.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced a surge in U.S. troop deployments to Syria, raising their number from approximately 900 to nearly 2,000. The U.S. military has intensified strikes against ISIS to prevent the group from regrouping amid the current instability.