Australia makes first air strike in Syria
Australian warplanes have carried out their first air strike against Islamic State group in Syria, destroying an armoured personnel carrier, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said yesterday.
"This is part of our logical extension in the fight against Daesh to operate not just over northern Iraq but also to operate over eastern Syria in order to degrade and destroy Daesh Forces," the minister told reporters using the Arabic acronym for Islamic State.
A Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18A Hornet fighter destroyed an ISIS armoured personnel carrier with a guided missile two days ago, Andrews said.
"Sorties are being flown over Syria and Iraq, the majority of our missions are still over Iraq and we're doing them on a very regular basis," Andrews added.
The United States, Canada, Turkey and Gulf states have already been involved in strikes on ISIS militants in Syria, while France has been carrying out surveillance flights over Syria in preparation for air strikes.
Meanwhile, France will carry out its first air strikes on the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria "in the coming weeks," Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said yesterday.
President Francois Hollande last week expanded action to Syria amid mounting political pressure over jihadist threats faced by France.
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