The announcement from President Francois Hollande’s office on Sunday came after a year of hesitation. Hollande had resisted the raids in Syria, saying he did not want to strengthen Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, who is the target of ISIL fighters.
Hollande announced a change in strategy earlier this month because of growing concern about the Syrian refugee crisis that is putting pressure on Europe – the preferred destination for the asylum seekers.
In Iraq, France has been carrying out the air raids since last year as part of the US-led coalition.
Hollande, heading to the UN General Assembly on Sunday where Syrian crisis was expected to be the key subject of debate, stressed the importance of seeking a political solution for Syria. “More than ever the urgency is putting in place a political transition”, including elements of the opposition and Assad’s regime, Hollande said.
Aljazeera.
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