Key Facts
- Start date
- 19 September 2014
- Iraq airstrikes began
- 19 September 2014
- Syria airstrikes began
- End of September 2015
- Name origin
- Shamal, a northwesterly wind over Iraq and the Gulf
- Scope expansion trigger
- Paris terrorist attacks, 13 November 2015
Strategic Narrative Overview
French airstrikes in Iraq began on 19 September 2014, with operations extending into Syrian territory by late September 2015. The French frigate Jean Bart was also deployed alongside the United States Navy's CTF 50 as an escort. After ISIL claimed the 13 November 2015 Paris attacks were retaliation for Chammal, France significantly expanded the scope and assets committed to the operation, intensifying its campaign against the group.
01 / The Origins
The rapid territorial expansion of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) across Iraq and Syria from 2014 prompted an international response. France launched Opération Chammal on 19 September 2014 to help curtail ISIL's advance and to support the beleaguered Iraqi Army. The operation was initially constrained to aerial bombardment, with President François Hollande explicitly ruling out the deployment of French ground troops.
03 / The Outcome
The operation remains ongoing with no formal conclusion. The expansion triggered by the Paris attacks led to a more robust French military posture in the region. France continued to conduct airstrikes and deploy naval assets in support of coalition efforts against ISIL, though the group's territorial defeat in 2019 has since altered the operational context without ending French involvement.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
François Hollande.
Side B
1 belligerent