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France deploys aircraft carrier in fight against Islamic State

French navy's Charles de Gaulle in the Gulf from where its aircraft will carry out raids as part of US-led military campaign against jihadist group.

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France deployed an aircraft carrier in the Gulf on Monday as part of the US-led military campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq, a defence ministry official said, reports Yahoo! News.

"The integration of the Charles de Gaulle in the operation... (in Iraq) begins this morning," a member of defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian's staff told AFP as his entourage made its way to the carrier.

The first Rafale fighter jet took off in the morning from the Charles de Gaulle as it sailed about 200 kilometres (120 miles) off the coast north of Bahrain in the direction of Iraq.

Read more of this AP report published by Yahoo! News.