LOC11:28
08:28 GMT
PARIS, July 19 (KUNA) -- French air forces are striking the so-called Islamic State (IS) targets every day in Iraq and Syria and France is mulling increasing its participation in the international Coalition seeking to defeat the terror group, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday.
Speaking on "France Info" radio, Le Drian revealed that France is striking at IS command centres in Raqqa and Mosul and these operations are taking place on a daily basis, even though they are not being made public every day.
"We must continue to strike at the heart of Daesh (IS), hit its sanctuaries," the Defence Minister said.
"France is striking every day. We hit yesterday and we hit during the night," he added.
He said that the goal is "the eradication of Daesh" and that the next phase of operations will be discussed in the forthcoming meeting this week in Washington when the Coalition partners lined up against IS gather for strategic talks.
France will discuss "reinforcing the French role" in the Coalition operations in Iraq and Syria when it meets with its partners in Washington, Le Drian indicated.
The "eradication (of IS) is the next step," he stated.
He said that strikes must focus on Mosul and Raqqa because it is from these cities that terror strikes against France and Europe are being organised.
France has been hit by several terrorist attacks since January 2015, all claimed by IS, and 233 people have so far died here and hundreds have been wounded in bombing, shooting, stabbing and even a rampage by a truck driven into pedestrians in Nice last Thursday, when 84 died.
"We are in a decisive phase," the Minister said, noting that IS has lost 40 percent of its territory and many fighters.
Therefore, said Le Drian, "it is indispensable...to be better organised for the final phase," he said, adding that was the purpose of the Washington meeting. (End).
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