French warplanes pound IS stronghold in Syria

Paris, Nov 16: French fighter jets pounded Islamic State's (IS) stronghold of Raqqa in Syria in retaliation over the Paris attacks on November 13 that killed 129 people and injured 350 others, the media reported on Monday.

The targets in Sunday's airstrikes included a command centre, a recruitment centre, an ammunition storage base and a training camp for the terror group in Raqqa, which is the capital of the terror group's so-called caliphate, said Mickael Soria, press advisor for France's defence minister.

France has been conducting airstrikes against IS targets in Syria since September as part of a US-led anti-terror coalition.

Twelve aircraft, including 10 fighter jets, were involved in the airstrikes. Twenty bombs were dropped and all of the targets were destroyed, CNN quoted the advisor as saying.

The planes involved in the airstrikes took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan in a mission carried out in coordition with US forces, the French defence ministry said in a statement late Sunday. However, there were no reports of any casualties.

The airstrikes follow the gruesome gun and bomb attacks that took place on November 13 at five places across Paris. Seven attackers died in the assault on the French capital, most of them after detoting suicide belts.

The IS has claimed responsibility for the attacks.