Iraq News

France striking ISIL targets in Iraq 'every day'

France is carrying out strikes "every day" against "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) fighters in Iraq, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday (July 19th).

"There were French strikes last night in Tal Afar, not far from Mosul," he told France Info radio.

"We do not announce it every day, but since we are in the coalition we are striking every day," he said.

ISIL claimed responsibility for last week's attack in Nice, where a man driving a truck ploughed into a crowd gathered for Bastille Day fireworks, killing 84 people, AFP reported.

Investigators say Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the 31-year-old Tunisian driver, had shown "recent interest" in ISIL propaganda but they have no evidence he had any ties to the group.

On Wednesday, defence ministers from the anti-ISIL coalition will meet in Washington.

Le Drian said he expected they would "push the offensive under way in Iraq and Syria to the limit" by concentrating their strikes on the ISIL strongholds of Mosul in Iraq and al-Raqa in Syria.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500