France begins air strikes against IS

It has been reported by news agency AFP that France has begun air strikes against so-called Islamic State in Iraq from the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle. A number of Rafale fighter planes took off from the carrier early on Friday (30 September). Reports quoted an officer on board, who said the planes would take part in an attack on Mosul, an IS stronghold in Iraq. The Charles de Gaulle, France's only aircraft carrier, was sent to the region earlier in the month. The news comes as Iraqi forces have gained significant ground in the battle for Mosul, which was occupied by IS in June 2014, and are expected to launch an offensive to retake the city soon. French radio station RTL have also reported that 24 aircraft will take part in today's operation, with a sortie every three minutes, on average. The Charles de Gaulle is a 38,000-tonne ship powered by two nuclear reactors. It has more than 1,900 crew, and is 260 metres (850ft) long.