France strikes back with Charles de Gaulle carrier assault

THE French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle last night launched air strikes against Islamic State in a major escalation of what President Francois Hollande has declared to be ‘war’.

“We carried out strikes in Ramadi and Mosul in support of ground forces that were pushing against troops of (the Islamic State group),” said army chief of staff General Pierre de Villiers, aboard the carrier.

He added planes from the Charles de Gaulle would launch strikes against IS targets in Syria, including command and recruitment centres as well as oil facilities, in “a matter of hours or days”.

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