France launched a retaliatory air assault against ISIS extremists in Raqqa, Syria, late Sunday, just two days after a series of terrorist attacks killed more than 120 people in Paris and its suburbs. Ten fighter jets launched simultaneously from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, dropping at least 20 bombs on ISIS targets, including a command center, a militant-training facility, and arms depot, according to a statement from the French Defense Ministry, quoted in The Guardian. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks—the worst since World War II. The French airstrikes “were conducted in coordination with US forces,” according to The Guardian report. During a telephone conversation with French Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Le Drian on Saturday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the US stands “with France entirely” and “reiterated the United States’ commitment to stand by our oldest ally in taking additional steps [to] respond to these barbaric attacks,” according to a readout of the conversation. President Obama also offered his condolences to French President Hollande on Friday, and “reiterated the United States’ steadfast, unwavering support for the people of France,” according to a White House readout of the conversation. The international community is expected to discuss its response to the Paris attacks and the global terrorist threat during the G20 summit in Antalya, Turkey. “This terrorist action is not only against the people of France. It is an action against all of the people of the globe,” said Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in a joint press conference with Obama following a bilateral meeting.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.