Opération Chammal

Overview

Opération Chammal is a French military operation in Iraq and Syria launched to help curtail the expansion of the Islamic State and to support the Iraqi Army. Its name comes from the Shamal, a northwesterly wind that blows over Iraq and the Persian Gulf states.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Opération Chammal represents France's primary military commitment to the counter-Islamic State campaign in Iraq and Syria, launched to halt the expansion of the Islamic State and to bolster the Iraqi Army. The operation placed French forces alongside the broader international coalition effort, marking a sustained French military engagement in the region. The operation's name derives from the Shamal, a northwesterly wind over Iraq and the Persian Gulf, a choice reflecting the geographic and cultural context of the theater. With a French force of approximately 2,000 personnel operating against an Islamic State strength estimated at 9,000, the operation formed a significant component of external pressure on the group across both Iraqi and Syrian territory.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (36)