France hits Islamic State militants in Syria

Using an alternative name for the Islamic State (IS) group – also known by the acronyms Isis and Isil – the French president’s office said in a statement: “Our country thus confirms its resolute commitment to fight against the terrorist threat represented by Daesh.”

The statement added: “We will strike each time that our national security is at stake.”

We will strike each time that our national security is at stake. French statement

France had previously restricted its campaign against the Islamist terror group to Iraq, but French planes began flying reconnaissance missions over Syria earlier this month.

Paris said the strikes were conducted using information collected during these reconnaissance flights and had been launched in co-ordination with its international partners.

The French attack destroyed an Islamic State training camp in the east of the country, officials said later.

Cameron shift?

David Cameron today appeared to indicate a shift in his position on Syria’s future, leaving open the possibility that the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, might play a role in peace talks.

Sky News reported that the prime minister is was not ruling out that Assad could be part of a transition, but “what he is very clear about is that Assad cannot be part of Syria’s future in the long run”.

And the Telegraph quoted a government source as saying Cameron was open to keeping Assad in power in the short term while a unity government was formed.

Who is doing the bombing?

According to the website Airwars, the US-led anti-IS coalition has carried out more than 7,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria.

The Americans have carried out about two thirds of the 4,506 attacks on IS targets in Iraq alone (2,962), as well as the vast majority of strikes in Syrian territory.

After the US, Britain is estimated to have carried out the most airstrikes (310), followed by the Netherlands (265) and France (218).

Other countries involved in the bombing include Belgium, Denmark, Canada and Australia.

UK vote

On Saturday, defence secretary Michael Fallon said the Conservative government wanted another parliamentary vote to approve the use of force in Syria.

A year ago, MPs in the last parliament voted overwhelmingly to allow the RAF to attack IS targets in Iraq. But in August 2013 the coalition government was defeated in a vote on taking military action against forces loyal to the Assad regime in Syria.

Despite the lack of parliamentary approval, Mr Fallon admitted in July that British pilots had seen action over Syria while embedded with other coalition forces.

And David Cameron told the Commons earlier this month that an RAF drone strike had killed two British jihadis in Raqqa, IS’s Syrian stronghold.

We will have to make the case again to the new parliament that we should be able to operate in Syria as well as Iraq because ISIL are headquartered in Syria and they don’t recognise the boundary. Michael Fallon

Mr Fallon said on Saturday: “We will have to make the case again to the new parliament that we should be able to operate in Syria as well as Iraq because ISIL are headquartered in Syria and they don’t recognise the boundary.

“But we would have to make that case to the new MPs.”

“Global solution”

France has also called for a “global solution” to the crisis in Syria, saying it supported UN special envoy Staffan de Mistura’s initiative to work towards a political transition for the country.

The French presidency said: “Civil populations must be protected against all forms of violence, those coming from Daesh and other terrorist groups, but also against the deadly bombings of president Bashar al-Assad.

“More than ever it is urgent to set up a political transition that brings together elements from the regime and the moderate opposition.”

On Saturday France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius said Assad could not play a role in a political transition after causing the deaths of so many Syrians.