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France to Deploy 3 More Jets, Warship, in IS Fight

The French military said Wednesday it would deploy three more fighter jets and a warship to the Middle East to boost support to Iraqi forces fighting Islamic State jihadists.

The warplanes will be sent to France's Al Dhafra military base in the United Arab Emirates, from where it has launched two rounds of air strikes as part of a U.S.-led coalition battling IS fighters.

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Official: In Air War in Iraq and Syria, 4,100 U.S. Flights

U.S. aircraft have flown roughly 4,100 sorties in the air war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since August, including surveillance flights, refueling runs and bombing raids, a military officer said Monday.

The number of flights reflects the widening U.S.-led air campaign that began with a more narrowly-defined objective when it was launched by Washington on August 8. 

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U.S.-led Raids on Syria Killed 14 Jihadists, 5 Civilians

A series of strikes in Syria overnight by a U.S.-led coalition killed 14 jihadists from the Islamic State group and five civilians, a monitoring group said on Thursday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the militants were killed in strikes in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, and the civilians died in raids in northeastern Hasakeh.

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U.S., Saudi, UAE Strike IS Oil Refineries in Syria

The United States bombed Islamic State-controlled oil refineries in Syria on Wednesday as President Barack Obama recruited more allies to fight the jihadist "network of death."

U.S., Saudi and Emirati warplanes broadened their bombardment to target the oil installations in eastern Syria that have helped fund the jihadist group's brutal rise from rebel faction to alleged global threat.

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Risks for Arab States in Joining Anti-IS Campaign

By joining U.S.-led strikes in Syria, Gulf Arab monarchies are hoping to eliminate the threat to their authority from Islamic State jihadists and push the regime in Damascus out of power.

But their plan is not without serious risks, analysts warn.

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Obama Thanks Arab Nations for Joining Syria Strikes

President Barack Obama thanked Arab leaders Tuesday for joining a US-led coalition aimed at defeating Islamic extremists, winning pledges from his allies that they were in the fight for the long haul.

Speaking just hours after he launched air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria, Obama said the coalition "represents partners and friends with which we have worked for many, many years to make sure that security and prosperity exists in this region."

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Obama to Meet Officials of Arab Coalition Allies in New York

President Barack Obama will meet representatives of the five Middle Eastern nations that supported the first U.S. strikes in Syria later on Tuesday, his spokesman said.

Obama will see the officials from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar after he arrives in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meetings, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Air Force One.

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Australia Treating IS Kill Threat as Genuine

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Tuesday said Canberra was treating as genuine a call by the Islamic State group for Muslims to indiscriminately kill Australians, issued after anti-terrorism raids foiled an alleged abduction plot.

The militants on Monday released a statement urging the deaths of citizens of all countries taking part in the U.S.-led coalition against the jihadists. Australia was mentioned, along with the United States, Canada and France. 

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U.S., Arab Allies Strike IS Jihadists in Syria, Killing at Least 70

The United States and its Arab allies unleashed deadly bomb and missile strikes on jihadists in Syria on Tuesday, opening a new front in the battle against the Islamic State group.

Dozens of IS and Al-Qaida militants were reported to have been killed in the raids, which Washington said had partly targeted extremists plotting an "imminent attack" against the West.

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France Begins Reconnaissance Flights over Iraq

French planes carried out their first reconnaissance flights over Iraq on Monday in support of the U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State jihadists.

An AFP correspondent saw two French Rafale fighter jets equipped with high-precision cameras take off from the Al-Dhafra base in the United Arab Emirates during a visit by French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

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