Paris, Nov 16: French warplanes have pounded Islamic State’s Syrian stronghold in retaliation for a wave of coordinated attacks claimed by the jihadists which left 129 people dead in Paris.
In the first strikes since Friday’s carnage which killed at least 129 and wounded more than 350, French warplanes bombed IS targets in Raqa, the Islamists’ de facto capital in Syria.
The raid destroyed an IS command post, jihadist recruitment centre, a munitions depot and a “terrorist” training camp, the defence ministry said.
The operation was conducted in coordination with US forces by a dozen aircraft which took off from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, it said.
French police said they were seeking a “dangerous” suspect, 26-year-old Salah Abdeslam who is said to be one of three brothers linked to the slaughter.
As the investigation spread across Europe, police last evening carried out a search in Bobigny, in the northern suburbs of Paris, but the results were not yet known.
