French Assembly votes to extend airstrikes against ISIS
A total of 515 lawmakers were for the motion, and only four voted against it, as the country’s prime minister declared that it was 'at war’.
The French National Assembly on Wednesday approved a motion to prolong airstrikes on ISIS targets by an overwhelming majority – voting 515 to 4, with 10 abstentions. Paris has stepped up its campaign against the militant group since it attacked the capital on November 13, killing 130 people. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said France was "at war" with IS, and that they must be destroyed, PTI reported.
France launched its first strikes from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean last week. It has been involved in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq since 2014, and has undertaken at least 300 such operations since then. Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said all 27 members of the European Union had promised to provide direct or indirect help to France’s operations.