French fighter jets took off from an aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean on Friday to engage in aerial attacks against the Islamic State in the Iraqi city of Mosul, according to French media sources.
At around 04:00 am GMT, eight Aéronavale Rafale-M fighters took off from the French "Charles de Gualle" aircraft carrier, which was navigating close to Cyprus as part of France's Operation Chammal in the region, according to French BFM-TV.
The fighters' mission is to assist Iraqi government troops in their bid to expel IS members from Mosul, a current stronghold for the terrorist group.
The "Charles de Gaulle" had just arrived to the area for its third combat tour along with the international coalition led by the United States against IS in Syria and Iraq
The French minister of Defence, Jean-Yves Le Drian, announced that the aircraft carrier's deployment will take place from the end of Sept. to the end of Oct. when the ship is due for a major 18 month maintenance overhaul.
Source: EFE
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário