France pounds ISIS stronghold in Syria

French fighter jets have launched raids on Islamic State targets in Raqqa, a city in the eastern part of Syria.

According to France’s ministry of defense, 20 bombs were dropped at a command post and an extremist training camp in Raqqa.

“The raid including 10 fighter jets, was launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan. Twenty bombs were dropped,” the ministry said in a statement said.

The operation, carried out in coordination with US forces, struck a command centre, recruitment centre for jihadists, a munitions depot and a training camp for fighters, it said.

A defence official was quoted by Associated Press as saying the strikes were massive.

“The first target destroyed was used by Daesh (another Arabic acronym for IS) as a command post, jihadist recruitment centre and arms and munitions depot. The second held a terrorist training camp,” a ministry statement said.

Information from inside Syria suggests the bombings had cut water and electricity supplies.

Activists in Raqqa have said the bombings have caused “panic” in the city.

President Francois Hollande had described Friday’s attacks in Paris as “acts of war”, vowing to revenge.

ISIS claimed responsibilities for the attacks and threatened to carry out more in future.

French national police has declared wanted one Salah Abdeslam, a 26-year-old French national, who was born in Brussels, capital of Belgium, for his involvement in the attacks.

Series of arrests have been made in Belgium and different parts of the world.

About 129 people died in the attacks and 352 sustained injuries, with 99 of them in critical condition late Saturday.