The French are not fucking around.
Less than 24 hours after ISIS claimed responsibility for orchestrating multiple attacks in Paris that killed a total of 129 people and wounded 350 more, French warplanes have begun air strikes on the city of Raqqua–a city in northern Syria that is the self-proclaimed capital of the Islamic State–a government official told the New York Times.
French fighter jets launched their biggest raids in Syria to date, including 12 aircraft and 10 fighter jets that were launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, officials with the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
NBC News reports that the statement indicated that “twenty bombs were dropped.”
“The first target destroyed was used by ISIS as a commanding post. A jihad recruitment center. And a depot for arms and munitions. The second target housed a terrorist training camp,” the ministry said.
The Times reports that the eight terrorists (all now dead) that carried out these heinous acts on Friday had been in contact with known members of the Islamic State in Syria using encryption technology (maybe even communicating through the Play Station 4 gaming console), adding to the narrative that the extremist group not only inspired the carefully-planned attacks, but was integral in it coming to fruition. The Times also notes that the disciplined, military-style manner in which the terrorists followed through with the attack–ie having one attacker keep shooting while another reloaded his weapon–is indicative of a nuanced plan from an organized group.
Our own Paul Sacca reported yesterday that French President Francois Hollande has called the attacks an “act of war” by Islamic State and echoed the sentiment that the terror was orchestrated by ISIS by adding “It was an act of war that was prepared and organized abroad, and with complicity” from individuals in France.
As of now, information regarding notable ISIS kills has yet to become public knowledge. For now, we can only hope that they were having a mandatory terrorist meeting in a large auditorium that has now been reduced to rubble.
[h/t The New York Times]