France hits back, striking IS in Syria after Paris attacks

A photo of the Rafale warplane, released by the French defence ministry at the start of its military intervention in Syria last September AFP PHOTO / ECPAD

French warplanes pounded the Islamic State group's de facto capital in Syria on Sunday, in the first such strikes since a wave of coordinated attacks killed at least 132 people and injured hundreds of others in the French capital.

A dozen warplanes dropped 20 bombs on IS targets in IS's de facto Syrian capital Raqa on Sunday.

The French defency ministry says the strike destroyed an IS command post, a jihadist recruitment centre, a munitions depot and a training camp.

"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.

The operation involved 12 warplanes, including 10 fighter bombers.

The planes left from Jordan and the United Arab Emirates and was conducted in coordination with American forces, the ministry said.

French President Francois Hollande on Saturday blamed the Islamic State group for the gun and suicide attacks, calling them an "act of war" and vowed to hit back "without mercy".