The allies strike an ISIL base near Kirkuk. François Hollande comments
(BRUXELLES2) In Brussels, President François Hollande insisted from the outset, without any journalist questioning him, on taking stock of the latest strikes in Iraq. An update on the military situation in this hushed chamber of the European Council, all the more surprising since this subject was really not on the agenda. But for the president, as he said himself, " it was important to demonstrate that what we are doing in Iraq is effective ».
Extensive coalition operation
A vast coalition operation was indeed carried out on Thursday evening (October 23 around 21:30 p.m. local time), “ on a determined area west of Kirkuk (NB: to Jar Silah), now controlled by Daesh, the terrorist organization we are fighting » said François Hollande.
A base serving as a targeted logistics hub
And to add that " 60 objectives had been identified by the coalition and targeted ". 12 objectives had been assigned to the French, with 100% success according to the president. " 12 were targeted, 12 were achieved ". Object of Allied Attention: A former Iraqi Army base used by Islamic State Organization (EIIL/ISIL) fighters as “ a logistics hub "according to the British, a complex" serving as both a pipe bomb manufacturing plant and a terrorist recruiting, training and training center “Said the French General Staff of the armies.
According to our information, the operation took part in particular: 2 French Rafales - each armed with 6 AASM bombs and equipped with Damocles pods, 2 British Tornado GR4s equipped with Paveway IV laser-guided bombs, as well as in-flight refueling aircraft and drones Rivet Joint and Reaper monitoring.
Operations that will intensify
François Hollande also indicated that the operations will intensify. " There are other goals have been set. The pace will pick up. We are in a phase where we have gathered all the information and where we can act to hit the terrorist organization hard. buildings, storage, places where materials, explosives, combatants are stored. " " We act — he concluded. (But) it will be a long process. »
(NGV)
