France launches air strikes on ISIS in Raqqa for the third day in row

France’s defence minister said 10 warplanes were targeting Islamic State’s Syrian stronghold of Raqqa for the third consecutive day on Tuesday and vowed that the campaign against the group would intensify in the coming days.

“At this moment, our air force … 10 fighter jets are again hitting Raqqa, and as you know tomorrow the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle will leave for the eastern Mediterranean to continue strikes on specific targets in particular around Raqqa and Deir ez-Zour,” Jean-Yves Le Drian told TF1 tv channel.

He added that he believed Russia’s position was shifting since confirmation that a tourist plane full of Russians was blown up by Islamic State over the Sinai last month.

“Russia is shifting because today Russian cruise missiles hit Raqqa. Maybe today this grand coalition with Russia is possible because it has evolved,” he said, referring to President Francois Hollande’s call to create a large coalition against the group.

source:AFP