The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle arrived in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi on Thursday (January 21), its 2,000-strong crew taking a break from nearly two months of intensive air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
The jihadist group lost control of the western Iraqi city of Ramadi last month, in a sorely needed victory for Iraqi forces backed by a U.S.-led international coalition. Rear Admiral Rene-Jean Crignola, the commander of the French carrier group, said the 26 fighter jets on board the Charles de Gaulle had carried out more than 300 strikes since November.
“Our missions are mostly in support of Iraqi troops on the ground, and we had a particularly important role in the battle of Ramadi. The other combat missions we carry out are strikes deep inside Islamic State territory, to destroy command centres and weaken the organisation,” said Crignola at a press conference on board the carrier.
The skies over Syria have been crowded since Russia entered the conflict in September to bolster the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, whom the West wants removed. Crignola said a military agreement to avoid accidental escalation had prevented any hostile incidents between Russian and coalition jets.
“We can say Russia has been a game changer. We have had to take Russia’s intervention into account and quickly resolve and coalition operations. It was arranged quickly and today there is no difficulty in sharing the airspace, thanks to this agreement,” said Crignola.
Coalition members met in Paris on Wednesday (January 20) and agreed they all had to do more to defeat Islamic State. Critics of the campaign say Islamic State has solidified its hold over its core territories and allied forces on the ground are not effective enough. But Crignola said the air campaign was achieving its objectives.
“The intensification of strikes against Daesh (Islamic State) is bearing fruit. Daesh is on the defensive and recent battles against Daesh have been won, particularly in Iraq. Daesh is on the back foot and has lost territory. Now we have to consolidate this advance and continue our efforts, so that in the near future we can definitively defeat Daesh in Iraq and Syria alike,” he said.
The conflict is an emotive issue for France, which stepped up its role after Islamic State militants carried out attacks in Paris in November. After a six-day break in Abu Dhabi, the Charles de Gaulle will return to duty next week and resume its campaign against the jihadist group. (Reuters)
