fbpx
Wikipedia

Opération Chammal

February 14, 2023

Opération Chammal is a French military operation in Iraq and Syria launched to help curtail the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and to support the Iraqi Army. Its name comes from the Shamal (Chammal in French), a northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states.[16]

Opération Chammal
Part of the International military intervention against ISIL

French Dassault Rafale of Squadron 11F prepares to land on USS Carl Vinson. Carl Vinson is deployed as part of maritime security operations and strike operations in Iraq and Syria.
Date19 September 2014 – ongoing
(8 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days)
Location
Iraq, Syria[1][2]
Status

Ongoing

  • French airstrikes on IS in Iraq and Syria
  • IS ground attacks on French special forces repelled
  • Complete military defeat of IS in Iraq on 9 Dec 2017[3]
Belligerents
France Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Emmanuel Macron (President of France)
François Hollande
Jean-Yves Le Drian
Florence Parly
Pierre de Villiers
François Lecointre
Thierry Burkhard
André Lanata
Christophe Prazuck

Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi (Leader of IS)
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi †[4]

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  †[5]
Abu Ala al-Afri †[6]
Abu Ali al-Anbari †
Abu Suleiman al-Naser †
Abu Ali al-Anbari †
Abu Omar al-Shishani †
Abu Waheeb †
Units involved
French Air Force
French Navy
French Army		 Military activity of the Islamic State
Strength
  • Between 9,000 to 18,000 (U.S. intelligence estimate, January 2015)[11]
  • Between 20,000 to 31,500 (CIA estimate, September 2014)[12]
Casualties and losses
  • 2 killed as of December 2019[13]
  • Unknown wounded
  • Over 2,500 ISIS fighters killed by French forces between September 2014 and December 2016[14] (reports on casualties from 2017 onwards are scarce)
  • Over 2,000 targets (ISIS bases, weapons and ammunition depots, infrastructures...) destroyed by French air strikes between August 2014 and May 2017[15]

Airstrikes over Iraq started 19 September 2014 and airstrikes over Syria started by the end of September 2015. The French operation was at first limited to airstrikes and French president François Hollande had stated that no ground troops would be deployed in the conflict.[17] Additionally, the French frigate Jean Bart joined the United States Navy's Commander Task Force 50 (CTF 50) as an escort.[18]

On 14 November 2015, ISIS claimed that the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris the previous day were retaliation for Opération Chammal.[19] In response, France decided to expand the scope of its operations against the Islamist group and more assets were deployed.

Background

Main articles: Timeline of the Iraqi insurgency (2014) and International military intervention against ISIL

On 10 June 2014, the terrorist group of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and several other Sunni insurgents took control of the second-most populous city of Iraq, Mosul.[20] After fighting the Iraqi Army, ISIL seized cities and committed massacres and other atrocities.

ISIL committed mass murder and other atrocities against the Assyrians, as well as the Yazidis. ISIL also carried out the Camp Speicher massacre in June 2014, killing thousands of people.[21][22][23] Until August, ISIL had controlled almost one-third of Iraq.

On 7 August 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes in Iraq.[24] The next day, the U.S. Air Force launched airstrikes targeting the ISIS fighters, with humanitarian aid support from the United Kingdom and France.[25] On 10 September 2014, Obama outlined plans to expand U.S. operations to Syria.[26]

French authorities' statements leading up to France attacking ISIL

In September 2014, the French president and his ministers alluded to possible French military action against ISIL:

In Iraq and especially in Syria, the Daech terrorist organisation, which claims to be an Islamic state, succeeds in a degree never witnessed before to master a trans-border territory, to organize itself, to finance, and to equip itself. It has already made the world witness barbaric acts. Daily, it terrorises whole populations. It destabilizes a region which is already very fragile and its ambition is to build a terrorist state in the neighbourhood of Europe. (in French) En Irak et en Syrie en particulier, l'organisation terroriste Daesh, qui se prétend État islamique, atteint des degrés de maîtrise territoriale transfrontalière, d'organisation, de capacité financière et d'équipement encore jamais vus. Elle a déjà pris le monde à témoin d'actes barbares. Au quotidien, elle terrorise des populations entières. Elle déstabilise une région déjà très fragilisée et ambitionne de constituer un État terroriste dans le voisinage de l'Europe.

— French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's closing speech at de Université d'été de la défense, 9 September 2014, in Bordeaux[27]

The determination of the cutthroats from Daech (ISIL) is strong, ours must be even stronger. (in French) La détermination des égorgeurs de Daesh (acronyme de l'État islamique en arabe) est forte, la nôtre doit l'être plus encore.

— Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, speech in the French National Assembly on 10 September 2014[27][28]

There is no time to lose against the threat of Daech (ISIL) jihadists who now control large parts of Iraqi and Syrian territories, committing more and more extortions. (in French) Il n'y a pas de temps à perdre face à la menace des djihadistes de Daech qui a pris le contrôle de larges secteurs des territoires irakien et syrien, multipliant les exactions

— French President François Hollande, opening speech at the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq meeting at the Quai d'Orsay, 15 September 2014[29]

It is also France's security that is threatened by this… pseudo-Islamic State.

— Defence Minister Le Drian, around 15 September[30]

France has taken its responsibilities (…) I've been to Iraq to meet with the Iraqi authorities. They've asked me just one thing: French support for aerial operations. (…) I’ve decided to respond to that Iraqi demand (…) I affirm the need for that aerial support. There will be no other support, no troops on the ground, and we shall intervene nowhere except in Iraq.

— President Hollande, on 18 September[31]

The French government considered that international legitimacy was provided by 15 August 2014 resolution 2170 from the United Nations Security Council.[27]

Air strikes on Iraq

On 18 September 2014, the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, announced in front of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the United States House of Representatives that President François Hollande had announced that he authorized airstrikes in Iraq, in response to a request by the Iraqi government.[32]

On 19 September, the French Air Force carried out their first airstrike using two Rafale jets armed with GBU-12 Paveway II bombs,[33] beginning the French intervention. It conducted the airstrikes on an ISIS depot in Mosul, dropping 4 GBU-12 bombs.[34] Hollande's office said that the ISIS depot that was targeted was hit and completely destroyed.[35] The airstrikes killed 75 fighters from the Islamic State.[36] A spokesman of the Iraqi military, Qassim al-Moussawi, stated that four French airstrikes had hit the town of Zumar, killing dozens of militants.[37]

On 21 September, two Rafale jets provided air support for the Iraqi Army near Baghdad in a reconnaissance mission.[38] A day after, France conducted another reconnaissance mission over Mosul with two Rafale jets.[39] Another reconnaissance mission conducted on 23 September.[40] On 24 September, two reconnaissance and dynamic targeting missions were conducted in Mosul and Baghdad, supporting the Iraqi forces.[40]

On 25 September, while in a reconnaissance mission, two Rafale jets conducted France's second airstrike after the jets received information about targets near them by the Coordination air operation center,[41] a day after the beheading of the French hostage, Hervé Gourdel, by the Jund al-Khilafah terrorist group in Algeria.[42] Stéphane Le Foll said "This morning [France] carried out airstrikes on the territory of Iraq."[42] The jets destroyed 4 warehouses of ISIL near Fallujah.[41] French/American jets conducted airstrikes at night in Kirkuk, killing 15 ISIL fighters and injuring 30.[43]

Two reconnaissance missions were conducted by two Rafale jets and an Atlantique 2 over Nineveh Governorate on 26 September.[44]

In November 2014, the strike force was augmented with 6 Dassault Mirage 2000Ds based in Jordan.[45][46]

Between 18 December 2014 and 7 January 2015, French aircraft performed 45 missions in total. Rafales and Mirages performed 30 of those missions neutralising ten targets.[47]

On 14 January 2015, François Hollande declared that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle would deploy to the Persian Gulf with its strike group and that it was capable of supporting airstrikes against ISIL.[48][49] The ship was deployed in November and France launched its first airstrikes from the carrier on 23 November.[50]

Air strikes on Syria and Iraq

From the end of September 2015, France began airstrikes on ISIL in Syria as well, on a small scale to avoid inadvertently strengthening the hand of president Bashar Assad by hitting his enemies.[51]

French aircraft hit targets in Syria in early October 2015. In November, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told reporters in Amman, "Terrorist attacks have taken place (in France) ... In the name of self-defence it is obligatory to strike Daesh and we will continue," and "Whether there are French (citizens) among them, it's possible, but we have a responsibility to hit Daesh. Terrorists do not have passports."[52]

On 14 November 2015, ISIL claimed that the 13 November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks were retaliation for Opération Chammal.[19] In response, the French forces increased their attacks. On 15 November 2015, the French Air Force launched its largest airstrike of the bombing campaign sending 12 planes, including 10 fighters, that dropped 20 bombs in training camps and ammunition facilities in Raqqa, Syria, the de facto capital of ISIL.[53] The UK offered support with air-to-air refuelling and use of its Cyprus air base at RAF Akrotiri.[54] Germany also intervened in response to the Paris attacks and assisted France by sending a frigate and Panavia Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to Turkey.[55]

On 17 January 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the Trump administration's planned withdrawal "should not deflect us from our strategic objective to eradicate Daesh" and vowed to keep French soldiers in Syria throughout 2019.[56]

Battle of Mosul (2016)

Main article: Battle of Mosul (2016)

France is part of the 60-nation strong international coalition supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim the city of Mosul, which fell to ISIL in 2014. The French army deployed four CAESAR howitzers and 150 to 200 soldiers at Qayyarah Airfield West, with 600 more French troops announced at the end of September.[57] An additional 150 French soldiers were in Erbil, east of Mosul, training Peshmerga.[58] At the end of September 2016, the Charles de Gaulle was deployed from Toulon to the Syrian coast to support the operation against ISIL through airstrikes and reconnaissance missions. France has 36 Rafale M jets in the mission, with 24 based on the Charles de Gaulle and 12 operating out of French Air Force bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.[59][60]

Operations in Libya

During February 2016, it was widely reported that French Special Forces were operating in Libya, alongside similar teams from the United Kingdom and the United States.[61][62]

Military bases

 
CAESAR artillerymen, attached to Task Force Wagram, supporting Operation Roundup from al-Qa'im, Iraq, May 2018

In 2018, the Lafarge cement plant located south of Kobanî, Syria was being used as a base of operations by 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and United States Army forces.[63][64]

During the operation, there were at least three bases near Kobanî, Sarrin and Ayn Issa.[65] Moreover, French and American soldiers were reportedly spotted patrolling downtown Manbij, Syria.[66]

Following the 2019 Turkish offensive into north-eastern Syria and U.S. withdrawal, the French military had to leave, given they rely on U.S. logistical support.[67]

Casualties

On 23 September 2017, an operator from the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment, Adjudant-chef Stéphane Grenier, became France's first soldier to be killed in combat during Operation Chammal.[68] And on 21 March 2018, a legionnaire from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment, Caporal Bogusz Pochylski, became the second soldier to lose his life.[69]

Assets

Further information: Military intervention against ISIL order of battle

See also

References

  1. ^ "Carte de l'opération Chammal". French defense. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  2. ^ "IS conflict: France launches air strikes in Syria". BBC. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  3. ^ England, Andrew (9 December 2017). "Iraq announces defeat of Isis". Manama, Bahrain: Financial Times. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  4. ^ "ISIS leader al-Qurayshi dies in suicide blast alongside six children in US raid". LBC News. 3 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: IS leader 'killed in US operation' in Syria". BBC News. 27 October 2019.
  6. ^ Engel, Pamela (23 April 2015). "Report: A former physics teacher favored by Osama bin Laden is now leading ISIS". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  7. ^ Fred Pleitgen. "On board the French nuclear carrier battling ISIS". CNN. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  8. ^ "L'armée de l'Air a engagé un avion E3F Awacs en Irak". Zone Militaire. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  9. ^ "Irak : Les canons français ont déjà fait feu à trois reprises". Zone Militaire Opex360. Retrieved 15 August 2017.
  10. ^ "Etat islamique : la France "renforce son dispositif militaire" en Irak". Le Parisien. Retrieved 28 July 2016.
  11. ^ Barbara Starr, U.S. officials say 6,000 ISIS fighters killed in battles, CNN (22 January 2015).
  12. ^ CIA says IS numbers underestimated, Al Jazeera (12 September 2014).
  13. ^ "À quoi servent les 160 soldats que la France compte toujours en Irak ?". 10 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Les forces françaises ont tué au moins 2 500 djihadistes de l'EI en Irak et Syrie". 13 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Depuis août 2014, plus de 2 000 objectifs détruits par la force Chammal". 31 May 2017.
  16. ^ "Iraq: The French Operation is called Chammal". Le Figaro (in French). 20 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  17. ^ . Mathrubhumi. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014. Retrieved 22 September 2014.
  18. ^ "Chammal: La Frégate Jean Bart Intègre la Task Force 50". colsbleus.fr (in French). 30 October 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  19. ^ a b "ISIS expresses fury over French airstrikes in Syria; France says they will continue". CTV News. 14 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Militants seize Iraq's second city of Mosul". BBC. 10 June 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  21. ^ "4000 unarmed soldiers fell into the hands of ISIS". Buratha News Agency (in Arabic). 9 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  22. ^ "US forces arrive in Baghdad to advise Iraqi troops". BBC. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  23. ^ "Iraq army 'routs Isis rebels' in offensive on Tikrit". BBC. 28 June 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  24. ^ "Obama authorizes targeted airstrikes in Iraq against Islamic militants, along with airdrops". The Big Story. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  25. ^ "Obama Says Iraq Airstrikes Effort Could Be Long-Term". The New York Times. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  26. ^ "Obama: 'Relentless' campaign to destroy ISIS". Washington Examiner. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  27. ^ a b c Guisnel, Jean (11 September 2014). "Frappes contre l'État islamique : pourquoi la France peut peu". Le Point.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  28. ^ "Déclarations officielles de politique étrangère du 10 septembre 2014" (in French). France diplomatie. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  29. ^ Mimaut, Cécile (15 September 2014). "Daech ou Etat islamique? Questions sur un vocable". franceinfo.fr (in French). Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  30. ^ 'Isis Action: French Rafale Fighter Jets Fly over Iraq as Anti-Islamic State Paris Summit Begins'. International Business Times, 15 September 2014. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  31. ^ 'Irak : la France n’enverra pas de troupes au sol, annonce François Hollande' (there will be no French troops on the Iraqi ground, says Hollande). RTL.fr, 18 September 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  32. ^ "Washington welcomes the declaration of France of joining the airstrikes campaign in Iraq". Al Wasat (in Arabic). 18 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  33. ^ "Iraq: First French strikes". Ministry of Defense (in French). 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  34. ^ "Iraq: First French strikes (Updated)" (in French). Ministry of Defense. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  35. ^ "First French airstrikes in Iraq hit ISIL depot". USA Today. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  36. ^ . ONA (in Arabic). 20 September 2014. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  37. ^ "France launches first air strike on IS in Iraq". BBC News. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  38. ^ "Iraq: Mission Air Support (Updated)". Ministry of Defense (in French). 23 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  39. ^ "Operation Chammal: New reconnaissance mission in Iraq" (in French). Ministry of Defense. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  40. ^ a b "Operation Chammal: New air support missions in Iraq" (in French). Ministry of Defense. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  41. ^ a b "Chammal operation: Second French strikes in Iraq" (in French). Ministry of Defense. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  42. ^ a b "French Air Forces Strike Islamic State Targets in Iraq: Paris". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
  43. ^ "American-French airstrikes killed and injured 45 ISIS fighter in South-Western Kirkuk". Al Sumaria (in Arabic). 25 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
  44. ^ "Operation Chammal: continued flying missions" (in French). Ministry of Defense. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  45. ^ "Le dispositif de l'opération Chammal va être renforcé" (in French). Opex360.com. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  46. ^ "Opération Chammal" (in French). Ministère de la Défense (France). 23 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  47. ^ Chacaty, Helen (8 January 2015). "Opération Chammal : Les frappes continuent". Le Journal d'Aviation (in French). Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  48. ^ Gerschel, Frédéric (7 January 2015). "Le " Charles-de-Gaulle " prêt à combattre Daech". Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  49. ^ "Report: France To Deploy Aircraft Carrier To Gulf in IS Fight". Defense News. Agence France-Presse. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  50. ^ "Charles de Gaulle arrives off Syrian coast for strikes | IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  51. ^ "France launches air strikes against Islamic State in Syria". Reuters. 27 September 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  52. ^ "Middle East – 'Terrorists have no passports,' French PM says of Syria air strikes". France 24. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  53. ^ Henley, Jon and Ian Traynor (15 November 2015). "Paris attacks: French police launch raids as military strikes Isis in Syria". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  54. ^ "French jets strike Islamic State as Britain offers help". Reuters. 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  55. ^ "Bundeswehr-Mission gegen den Islamischen Staat soll 134 Millionen Euro kosten". Der Spiegel (in German). 30 November 2015. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  56. ^ "French military to continue fight against Daesh in Levant: Macron". Arab News. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  57. ^ Chapleau, Philippe (29 September 2016). "Les quatre Caesar de Qayyarah ont déjà donné de la voix". Ouest-France. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  58. ^ "Bataille de Mossoul : qui participe à la reconquête ?". L'Observer (in French). 17 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  59. ^ Licourt, Julien (30 September 2016). "Premières opérations depuis le Charles-de-Gaulle avant l'offensive sur Mossoul". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  60. ^ Pleitgen, Fred (17 October 2016). "On board the French nuclear carrier battling ISIS". CNN. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  61. ^ "Libya officials: French special forces on ground fighting IS". Yahoo News. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  62. ^ "Secret's out: French special forces, along with U.S., U.K. teams, fighting Islamic State in Libya". The Japan Times. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
  63. ^ Zorlu, Faruk; Copur, Hakan (19 June 2018). "France cooperating with PKK/YPG terrorists: Coalition". Anadolu Agency. According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency on March 30 from local sources, more than 70 French special forces under the international coalition against Daesh are stationed at the Lafarge Cement factory near the strategic Mistanur Hill and Harab-Isk village in southern Ayn al-Arab province (Kobani).
  64. ^ @obretix (10 July 2018). (Tweet). Archived from the original on 10 July 2018 – via Twitter.
  65. ^ "هل شاهدت مواقع القواعد الفرنسية في سوريا من قبل؟". syria.tv (in Arabic). 20 May 2018.
  66. ^ Rempfer, Kyle (3 May 2018). "US, French troops seen conducting joint patrol in Manbij, Syria". Military Times. Pictures and video surfaced Monday showing U.S. and French forces conducting a joint patrol in the northern Syria town of Manbij. A video posted by Furat FM, a news radio channel in the region, shows American and French flags on display as vehicles drive through what is reportedly downtown Manbij.
  67. ^ "France says securing military in Syria as U.S. begins withdrawal". Reuters. 14 October 2019.
  68. ^ Stripes, Stars &. "Paratrooper becomes France's first combat death in anti-ISIS coalition". Stars & Stripes. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  69. ^ "À quoi servent les 160 soldats que la France compte toujours en Irak ?". 10 January 2020.
  70. ^ a b c d "Chammal: The Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf Arab Persian". French MoD. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  71. ^ a b "President Hollande visits French aircraft carrier off Syrian coast". France24. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  72. ^ a b c "Chammal: new strikes against Iraq Daech". French MoD. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  73. ^ "Hollande visits French aircraft carrier off Syria". RFI. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  74. ^ "French Frigate Jean Bart Departs Operation Chammal". Naval Today. Retrieved 4 December 2015.
  75. ^ a b c d e f g AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. November 2015. p. 7.

February 14, 2023
opération, chammal, french, military, operation, iraq, syria, launched, help, curtail, expansion, islamic, state, iraq, levant, support, iraqi, army, name, comes, from, shamal, chammal, french, northwesterly, wind, that, blows, over, iraq, persian, gulf, state. Operation Chammal is a French military operation in Iraq and Syria launched to help curtail the expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and to support the Iraqi Army Its name comes from the Shamal Chammal in French a northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states 16 Operation ChammalPart of the International military intervention against ISILFrench Dassault Rafale of Squadron 11F prepares to land on USS Carl Vinson Carl Vinson is deployed as part of maritime security operations and strike operations in Iraq and Syria Date19 September 2014 ongoing 8 years 4 months 3 weeks and 2 days LocationIraq Syria 1 2 StatusOngoing French airstrikes on IS in Iraq and Syria IS ground attacks on French special forces repelled Complete military defeat of IS in Iraq on 9 Dec 2017 3 BelligerentsFranceIslamic StateCommanders and leadersEmmanuel Macron President of France Francois Hollande Jean Yves Le Drian Florence Parly Pierre de Villiers Francois Lecointre Thierry Burkhard Andre Lanata Christophe PrazuckAbu al Hasan al Hashimi al Qurashi Leader of IS Abu Ibrahim al Hashimi al Qurashi 4 Abu Bakr al Baghdadi 5 Abu Ala al Afri 6 Abu Ali al Anbari Abu Suleiman al Naser Abu Ali al Anbari Abu Omar al Shishani Abu Waheeb Units involvedFrench Air Force French Navy French ArmyMilitary activity of the Islamic StateStrength1 Aircraft Carrier FS Charles de Gaulle 2 Air Defence warships FS Jean Bart and FS Chevalier Paul 30 Dassault Rafale Fighters 7 6 Mirage 2000D Fighter bombers 9 Super Etendard Strike fighters until 2016 1 E 2 Hawkeye 1 Breguet Atlantic 1 E3F AWACS 8 4 CAESAR self propelled howitzer 9 3 200 troops special forces operators included 10 Between 9 000 to 18 000 U S intelligence estimate January 2015 11 Between 20 000 to 31 500 CIA estimate September 2014 12 Casualties and losses2 killed as of December 2019 13 Unknown woundedOver 2 500 ISIS fighters killed by French forces between September 2014 and December 2016 14 reports on casualties from 2017 onwards are scarce Over 2 000 targets ISIS bases weapons and ammunition depots infrastructures destroyed by French air strikes between August 2014 and May 2017 15 Airstrikes over Iraq started 19 September 2014 and airstrikes over Syria started by the end of September 2015 The French operation was at first limited to airstrikes and French president Francois Hollande had stated that no ground troops would be deployed in the conflict 17 Additionally the French frigate Jean Bart joined the United States Navy s Commander Task Force 50 CTF 50 as an escort 18 On 14 November 2015 ISIS claimed that the terrorist attacks that took place in Paris the previous day were retaliation for Operation Chammal 19 In response France decided to expand the scope of its operations against the Islamist group and more assets were deployed Contents 1 Background 2 French authorities statements leading up to France attacking ISIL 3 Air strikes on Iraq 4 Air strikes on Syria and Iraq 5 Battle of Mosul 2016 6 Operations in Libya 7 Military bases 8 Casualties 9 Assets 10 See also 11 ReferencesBackground EditMain articles Timeline of the Iraqi insurgency 2014 and International military intervention against ISIL On 10 June 2014 the terrorist group of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and several other Sunni insurgents took control of the second most populous city of Iraq Mosul 20 After fighting the Iraqi Army ISIL seized cities and committed massacres and other atrocities ISIL committed mass murder and other atrocities against the Assyrians as well as the Yazidis ISIL also carried out the Camp Speicher massacre in June 2014 killing thousands of people 21 22 23 Until August ISIL had controlled almost one third of Iraq On 7 August 2014 U S President Barack Obama authorized airstrikes in Iraq 24 The next day the U S Air Force launched airstrikes targeting the ISIS fighters with humanitarian aid support from the United Kingdom and France 25 On 10 September 2014 Obama outlined plans to expand U S operations to Syria 26 French authorities statements leading up to France attacking ISIL EditIn September 2014 the French president and his ministers alluded to possible French military action against ISIL In Iraq and especially in Syria the Daech terrorist organisation which claims to be an Islamic state succeeds in a degree never witnessed before to master a trans border territory to organize itself to finance and to equip itself It has already made the world witness barbaric acts Daily it terrorises whole populations It destabilizes a region which is already very fragile and its ambition is to build a terrorist state in the neighbourhood of Europe in French En Irak et en Syrie en particulier l organisation terroriste Daesh qui se pretend Etat islamique atteint des degres de maitrise territoriale transfrontaliere d organisation de capacite financiere et d equipement encore jamais vus Elle a deja pris le monde a temoin d actes barbares Au quotidien elle terrorise des populations entieres Elle destabilise une region deja tres fragilisee et ambitionne de constituer un Etat terroriste dans le voisinage de l Europe French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian s closing speech at de Universite d ete de la defense 9 September 2014 in Bordeaux 27 The determination of the cutthroats from Daech ISIL is strong ours must be even stronger in French La determination des egorgeurs de Daesh acronyme de l Etat islamique en arabe est forte la notre doit l etre plus encore Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius speech in the French National Assembly on 10 September 2014 27 28 There is no time to lose against the threat of Daech ISIL jihadists who now control large parts of Iraqi and Syrian territories committing more and more extortions in French Il n y a pas de temps a perdre face a la menace des djihadistes de Daech qui a pris le controle de larges secteurs des territoires irakien et syrien multipliant les exactions French President Francois Hollande opening speech at the International Conference on Peace and Security in Iraq meeting at the Quai d Orsay 15 September 2014 29 It is also France s security that is threatened by this pseudo Islamic State Defence Minister Le Drian around 15 September 30 France has taken its responsibilities I ve been to Iraq to meet with the Iraqi authorities They ve asked me just one thing French support for aerial operations I ve decided to respond to that Iraqi demand I affirm the need for that aerial support There will be no other support no troops on the ground and we shall intervene nowhere except in Iraq President Hollande on 18 September 31 The French government considered that international legitimacy was provided by 15 August 2014 resolution 2170 from the United Nations Security Council 27 Air strikes on Iraq EditOn 18 September 2014 the United States Secretary of State John Kerry announced in front of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the United States House of Representatives that President Francois Hollande had announced that he authorized airstrikes in Iraq in response to a request by the Iraqi government 32 On 19 September the French Air Force carried out their first airstrike using two Rafale jets armed with GBU 12 Paveway II bombs 33 beginning the French intervention It conducted the airstrikes on an ISIS depot in Mosul dropping 4 GBU 12 bombs 34 Hollande s office said that the ISIS depot that was targeted was hit and completely destroyed 35 The airstrikes killed 75 fighters from the Islamic State 36 A spokesman of the Iraqi military Qassim al Moussawi stated that four French airstrikes had hit the town of Zumar killing dozens of militants 37 On 21 September two Rafale jets provided air support for the Iraqi Army near Baghdad in a reconnaissance mission 38 A day after France conducted another reconnaissance mission over Mosul with two Rafale jets 39 Another reconnaissance mission conducted on 23 September 40 On 24 September two reconnaissance and dynamic targeting missions were conducted in Mosul and Baghdad supporting the Iraqi forces 40 On 25 September while in a reconnaissance mission two Rafale jets conducted France s second airstrike after the jets received information about targets near them by the Coordination air operation center 41 a day after the beheading of the French hostage Herve Gourdel by the Jund al Khilafah terrorist group in Algeria 42 Stephane Le Foll said This morning France carried out airstrikes on the territory of Iraq 42 The jets destroyed 4 warehouses of ISIL near Fallujah 41 French American jets conducted airstrikes at night in Kirkuk killing 15 ISIL fighters and injuring 30 43 Two reconnaissance missions were conducted by two Rafale jets and an Atlantique 2 over Nineveh Governorate on 26 September 44 In November 2014 the strike force was augmented with 6 Dassault Mirage 2000Ds based in Jordan 45 46 Between 18 December 2014 and 7 January 2015 French aircraft performed 45 missions in total Rafales and Mirages performed 30 of those missions neutralising ten targets 47 On 14 January 2015 Francois Hollande declared that the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle would deploy to the Persian Gulf with its strike group and that it was capable of supporting airstrikes against ISIL 48 49 The ship was deployed in November and France launched its first airstrikes from the carrier on 23 November 50 Air strikes on Syria and Iraq EditFrom the end of September 2015 France began airstrikes on ISIL in Syria as well on a small scale to avoid inadvertently strengthening the hand of president Bashar Assad by hitting his enemies 51 French aircraft hit targets in Syria in early October 2015 In November French Prime Minister Manuel Valls told reporters in Amman Terrorist attacks have taken place in France In the name of self defence it is obligatory to strike Daesh and we will continue and Whether there are French citizens among them it s possible but we have a responsibility to hit Daesh Terrorists do not have passports 52 On 14 November 2015 ISIL claimed that the 13 November 2015 Paris terrorist attacks were retaliation for Operation Chammal 19 In response the French forces increased their attacks On 15 November 2015 the French Air Force launched its largest airstrike of the bombing campaign sending 12 planes including 10 fighters that dropped 20 bombs in training camps and ammunition facilities in Raqqa Syria the de facto capital of ISIL 53 The UK offered support with air to air refuelling and use of its Cyprus air base at RAF Akrotiri 54 Germany also intervened in response to the Paris attacks and assisted France by sending a frigate and Panavia Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to Turkey 55 On 17 January 2019 French President Emmanuel Macron said that the Trump administration s planned withdrawal should not deflect us from our strategic objective to eradicate Daesh and vowed to keep French soldiers in Syria throughout 2019 56 Battle of Mosul 2016 EditMain article Battle of Mosul 2016 France is part of the 60 nation strong international coalition supporting Iraqi and Kurdish forces to reclaim the city of Mosul which fell to ISIL in 2014 The French army deployed four CAESAR howitzers and 150 to 200 soldiers at Qayyarah Airfield West with 600 more French troops announced at the end of September 57 An additional 150 French soldiers were in Erbil east of Mosul training Peshmerga 58 At the end of September 2016 the Charles de Gaulle was deployed from Toulon to the Syrian coast to support the operation against ISIL through airstrikes and reconnaissance missions France has 36 Rafale M jets in the mission with 24 based on the Charles de Gaulle and 12 operating out of French Air Force bases in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates 59 60 Operations in Libya EditDuring February 2016 it was widely reported that French Special Forces were operating in Libya alongside similar teams from the United Kingdom and the United States 61 62 Military bases Edit CAESAR artillerymen attached to Task Force Wagram supporting Operation Roundup from al Qa im Iraq May 2018 In 2018 the Lafarge cement plant located south of Kobani Syria was being used as a base of operations by 1st Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment and United States Army forces 63 64 During the operation there were at least three bases near Kobani Sarrin and Ayn Issa 65 Moreover French and American soldiers were reportedly spotted patrolling downtown Manbij Syria 66 Following the 2019 Turkish offensive into north eastern Syria and U S withdrawal the French military had to leave given they rely on U S logistical support 67 Casualties EditOn 23 September 2017 an operator from the 13th Parachute Dragoon Regiment Adjudant chef Stephane Grenier became France s first soldier to be killed in combat during Operation Chammal 68 And on 21 March 2018 a legionnaire from the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment Caporal Bogusz Pochylski became the second soldier to lose his life 69 Assets EditNavy Task Force 50 70 centered around the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle 71 with 18 Dassault Rafale fighters 8 Dassault Breguet Super Etendard strike aircraft and 2 Northrop Grumman E 2C Hawkeye AEW amp C aircraft 72 Georges Leygues class frigate La Motte Picquet 70 Horizon class frigate Chevalier Paul 70 Rubis class submarine citation needed Durance class tanker Marne 70 Between February and 17 April 2015 71 From 23 November 2015 to the present day 73 Cassard class frigate Jean Bart Between 20 October 2014 and 30 January 2015 74 La Fayette class frigate Courbet 26 November 2015 present 72 Further information Military intervention against ISIL order of battle Air Force BA104 Al Dhafra United Arab Emirates 75 6 Dassault Rafale fighters 75 1 Dassault Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft 75 1 Boeing C 135FR Stratotanker aerial refueling tanker 75 Azraq Air Base Jordan 75 3 Dassault Mirage 2000D fighters 75 3 Dassault Mirage 2000N fighters 75 1 Boeing E 3F Sentry AEW amp C aircraft 72 See also EditAmerican led intervention in Iraq American led intervention in Syria Battle of Sinjar Battle for Mosul Dam Persecution of Yazidis by the Islamic State International military intervention against ISIL Operation Okra Australian operation against ISIL Operation Impact Canadian operation against ISIL Operation Shader UK operation against ISIL Operation Inherent Resolve US operation against ISILReferences Edit Carte de l operation Chammal French defense 4 December 2017 Retrieved 3 January 2019 IS conflict France launches air strikes in Syria BBC 27 September 2015 Retrieved 27 September 2015 England Andrew 9 December 2017 Iraq announces defeat of Isis Manama Bahrain Financial Times Retrieved 10 December 2017 ISIS leader al Qurayshi dies in suicide blast alongside six children in US raid LBC News 3 February 2022 Abu Bakr al Baghdadi IS leader killed in US operation in Syria BBC News 27 October 2019 Engel Pamela 23 April 2015 Report A former physics teacher favored by Osama bin Laden is now leading ISIS Business Insider Retrieved 29 April 2015 Fred Pleitgen On board the French nuclear carrier battling ISIS CNN Retrieved 4 July 2017 L armee de l Air a engage un avion E3F Awacs en Irak Zone Militaire Retrieved 4 July 2017 Irak Les canons francais ont deja fait feu a trois reprises Zone Militaire Opex360 Retrieved 15 August 2017 Etat islamique la France renforce son dispositif militaire en Irak Le Parisien Retrieved 28 July 2016 Barbara Starr U S officials say 6 000 ISIS fighters killed in battles CNN 22 January 2015 CIA says IS numbers underestimated Al Jazeera 12 September 2014 A quoi servent les 160 soldats que la France compte toujours en Irak 10 January 2020 Les forces francaises ont tue au moins 2 500 djihadistes de l EI en Irak et Syrie 13 December 2016 Depuis aout 2014 plus de 2 000 objectifs detruits par la force Chammal 31 May 2017 Iraq The French Operation is called Chammal Le Figaro in French 20 September 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 France plans further air strikes against IS President Mathrubhumi 19 September 2014 Archived from the original on 23 September 2014 Retrieved 22 September 2014 Chammal La Fregate Jean Bart Integre la Task Force 50 colsbleus fr in French 30 October 2014 Retrieved 2 November 2014 a b ISIS expresses fury over French airstrikes in Syria France says they will continue CTV News 14 November 2015 Militants seize Iraq s second city of Mosul BBC 10 June 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 4000 unarmed soldiers fell into the hands of ISIS Buratha News Agency in Arabic 9 July 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 US forces arrive in Baghdad to advise Iraqi troops BBC 24 June 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Iraq army routs Isis rebels in offensive on Tikrit BBC 28 June 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Obama authorizes targeted airstrikes in Iraq against Islamic militants along with airdrops The Big Story 8 July 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Obama Says Iraq Airstrikes Effort Could Be Long Term The New York Times 9 August 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Obama Relentless campaign to destroy ISIS Washington Examiner 10 September 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 a b c Guisnel Jean 11 September 2014 Frappes contre l Etat islamique pourquoi la France peut peu Le Point fr in French Retrieved 6 December 2014 Declarations officielles de politique etrangere du 10 septembre 2014 in French France diplomatie 10 September 2014 Retrieved 6 December 2014 Mimaut Cecile 15 September 2014 Daech ou Etat islamique Questions sur un vocable franceinfo fr in French Retrieved 6 December 2014 Isis Action French Rafale Fighter Jets Fly over Iraq as Anti Islamic State Paris Summit Begins International Business Times 15 September 2014 Retrieved 24 October 2014 Irak la France n enverra pas de troupes au sol annonce Francois Hollande there will be no French troops on the Iraqi ground says Hollande RTL fr 18 September 2014 Retrieved 29 October 2014 Washington welcomes the declaration of France of joining the airstrikes campaign in Iraq Al Wasat in Arabic 18 September 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Iraq First French strikes Ministry of Defense in French 19 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 Iraq First French strikes Updated in French Ministry of Defense 19 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 First French airstrikes in Iraq hit ISIL depot USA Today 19 September 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 The French airstrikes resulted in killing 75 ISIS fighter in Mosul ONA in Arabic 20 September 2014 Archived from the original on 28 January 2015 Retrieved 25 September 2014 France launches first air strike on IS in Iraq BBC News 19 September 2014 Retrieved 25 September 2014 Iraq Mission Air Support Updated Ministry of Defense in French 23 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 Operation Chammal New reconnaissance mission in Iraq in French Ministry of Defense 23 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 a b Operation Chammal New air support missions in Iraq in French Ministry of Defense 24 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 a b Chammal operation Second French strikes in Iraq in French Ministry of Defense 26 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 a b French Air Forces Strike Islamic State Targets in Iraq Paris RIA Novosti Retrieved 25 September 2014 American French airstrikes killed and injured 45 ISIS fighter in South Western Kirkuk Al Sumaria in Arabic 25 September 2014 Retrieved 26 September 2014 Operation Chammal continued flying missions in French Ministry of Defense 26 September 2014 Retrieved 28 September 2014 Le dispositif de l operation Chammal va etre renforce in French Opex360 com 19 November 2014 Retrieved 3 February 2015 Operation Chammal in French Ministere de la Defense France 23 January 2015 Retrieved 3 February 2015 Chacaty Helen 8 January 2015 Operation Chammal Les frappes continuent Le Journal d Aviation in French Retrieved 3 February 2015 Gerschel Frederic 7 January 2015 Le Charles de Gaulle pret a combattre Daech Le Parisien in French Retrieved 3 February 2015 Report France To Deploy Aircraft Carrier To Gulf in IS Fight Defense News Agence France Presse 6 January 2015 Retrieved 3 February 2015 Charles de Gaulle arrives off Syrian coast for strikes IHS Jane s 360 www janes com Retrieved 23 November 2015 France launches air strikes against Islamic State in Syria Reuters 27 September 2015 Retrieved 21 November 2015 Middle East Terrorists have no passports French PM says of Syria air strikes France 24 Retrieved 16 November 2015 Henley Jon and Ian Traynor 15 November 2015 Paris attacks French police launch raids as military strikes Isis in Syria The Guardian Retrieved 16 November 2015 French jets strike Islamic State as Britain offers help Reuters 23 November 2015 Retrieved 23 November 2015 Bundeswehr Mission gegen den Islamischen Staat soll 134 Millionen Euro kosten Der Spiegel in German 30 November 2015 ISSN 2195 1349 Retrieved 29 July 2022 French military to continue fight against Daesh in Levant Macron Arab News 17 January 2019 Retrieved 29 July 2022 Chapleau Philippe 29 September 2016 Les quatre Caesar de Qayyarah ont deja donne de la voix Ouest France Retrieved 18 October 2016 Bataille de Mossoul qui participe a la reconquete L Observer in French 17 October 2016 Retrieved 18 October 2016 Licourt Julien 30 September 2016 Premieres operations depuis le Charles de Gaulle avant l offensive sur Mossoul Le Figaro in French Retrieved 19 October 2016 Pleitgen Fred 17 October 2016 On board the French nuclear carrier battling ISIS CNN Retrieved 19 October 2016 Libya officials French special forces on ground fighting IS Yahoo News 25 February 2016 Retrieved 25 February 2016 Secret s out French special forces along with U S U K teams fighting Islamic State in Libya The Japan Times 25 February 2016 Retrieved 25 February 2016 Zorlu Faruk Copur Hakan 19 June 2018 France cooperating with PKK YPG terrorists Coalition Anadolu Agency According to information obtained by Anadolu Agency on March 30 from local sources more than 70 French special forces under the international coalition against Daesh are stationed at the Lafarge Cement factory near the strategic Mistanur Hill and Harab Isk village in southern Ayn al Arab province Kobani obretix 10 July 2018 US Army Apache helicopter at the Lafarge cement plant in northern Syria Tweet Archived from the original on 10 July 2018 via Twitter هل شاهدت مواقع القواعد الفرنسية في سوريا من قبل syria tv in Arabic 20 May 2018 Rempfer Kyle 3 May 2018 US French troops seen conducting joint patrol in Manbij Syria Military Times Pictures and video surfaced Monday showing U S and French forces conducting a joint patrol in the northern Syria town of Manbij A video posted by Furat FM a news radio channel in the region shows American and French flags on display as vehicles drive through what is reportedly downtown Manbij France says securing military in Syria as U S begins withdrawal Reuters 14 October 2019 Stripes Stars amp Paratrooper becomes France s first combat death in anti ISIS coalition Stars amp Stripes Retrieved 4 October 2017 A quoi servent les 160 soldats que la France compte toujours en Irak 10 January 2020 a b c d Chammal The Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf Arab Persian French MoD Retrieved 8 December 2015 a b President Hollande visits French aircraft carrier off Syrian coast France24 Retrieved 4 December 2015 a b c Chammal new strikes against Iraq Daech French MoD Retrieved 8 December 2015 Hollande visits French aircraft carrier off Syria RFI Retrieved 4 December 2015 French Frigate Jean Bart Departs Operation Chammal Naval Today Retrieved 4 December 2015 a b c d e f g AirForces Monthly Stamford Lincolnshire England Key Publishing Ltd November 2015 p 7 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Operation Chammal amp oldid 1132356684, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.