Manama (AFP) - France deployed an aircraft carrier in the Gulf on Monday as part of the US-led military campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq, a defence ministry official said.
"The integration of the Charles
de Gaulle in the operation... (in Iraq) begins this morning," a member
of Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's staff told AFP as his entourage
made its way to the carrier.
The
first Rafale fighter jet took off in the morning from the Charles de
Gaulle as it sailed about 200 kilometres (120 miles) off the coast north
of Bahrain in the direction of Iraq
.
The
warship's deployment will cut in half the time it takes for the planes
to reach Iraq for strikes against IS from their base in the United Arab
Emirates.
France launched Operation Chammal in support of the US-led coalition against IS in September.
It
has nine Rafale and six Mirage fighters operating in Iraq from bases in
Jordan and the UAE, along with a maritime patrol and a refuelling
aircraft.