After the simultaneous attacks in Paris, which took 132 innocent lives and which was reportedly propagated by the Islamic extremist group ISIS, France answered back to the massacre tenfold by launching a massive airstrike that targeted the State's de-facto capital in Syria.
According to the news report of USA Today, a total of 12 aircrafts that included 10 fighter jets dropped 20 bombs in two targets at Raqqa. The airstrike targeted a command center, including an arms depot and a recruiting post, as well as a training camp.
The target locations were acquired by France through the expanded intelligence sharing between the United States of America and France.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the U.S. shared a so-called 'targeting package' to France to identify Islamic State targets for strikes by French warplanes. The United States also plans to pull back any restriction that may deter the intelligence exchange, to make it easier for France to step up its air campaign.
France has been trying in the past to join the so-called Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance but was not successful. The Five Eyes comprises Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and the U.S. The alliance is committed in sharing collected information, which also include intelligence about the ISIS. But most recently, French officials pressed the United States for intelligence-sharing benefits that are similar to the Five Eyes, stressing on counter-terrorism.
Meanwhile in Paris, the manhunt for a fugitive that is linked to the extremist group that instigated the terror attack continues to intensify. A wanted alert and photos of Abdeslam Salah, 26, was issued by the Paris Police. Salah is a native of Brussels and a brother of one of the seven terrorists who died during the wave of deadly assaults last Friday.
The police considers Salah as armed and dangerous. They advise the citizens to not approach Salah by themselves and to contact officials when they saw him.
