France has joined Britain in carrying out reconnaissance flights in support of the US air campaign against Islamist militants launched in Iraq early last month, the defence minister said on Monday.
“This very morning, the first reconnaissance flights will be carried out in agreement with the Iraqi authorities,” Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
Le Drian’s comments came as Paris prepared to host an international conference on a fightback against militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil), who have seized swathes of Iraq and neighbouring Syria.
The conference has been given added urgency by the beheading of a third Western hostage, British aid worker David Haines, on Saturday.
Britain had already been conducting extensive surveillance flights over Iraq in support of the US from its regional base in Cyprus, but has so far held back from carrying out strikes on Isil targets.
