Paris, Nov 15 (EFE).– France on Sunday launched massive airstrikes on an Islamic State terrorist camp near the Syrian town of Raqqa, a zone controlled by the jihadist group, officials with the French Defense Ministry told EFE.

According to the officials, the French air strikes, which came two days after terrorists killed at least 132 people in Paris in a series of attacks, had as their main target an IS “command post” that also served as a recruitment center and weapons and ammunition deposit.

The target was reported to be destroyed.

In addition, French warplanes also destroyed a training camp run by the jihadist group, the sources added.

The defense ministry oficials said that a total of about 20 bombs were dropped from 10 warplanes, a much larger attack than had been staged to date by the French military in Syria.

The targets had been previously identified by French reconnaissance missions, the officials said.

They added that the attack was mounted in coordination with U.S. forces deployed in the zone and that the aircraft had taken off from bases that France has in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.

The airstrikes came at 7:50 and 8:50 p.m. Paris time.

French Rafale and Mirage 2000 warplanes – maintained and manned by a contingent of more than 700 French troops – have been operating against the IS in Iraq for more than a year.

But on Sept. 27, France expanded its airstrikes into Syria, justifying upping its military efforts in the region by emphasizing its need to mount a “legitimate defense” against a group that is attacking the European country within its own borders. EFE