War on terror

France considers air strikes against IS group in Syria, rules out ground troops

President François Hollande on Monday announced France will start reconnaissance flights and is looking at the possibility of launching air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.

Hollande said the intelligence gathered from the surveillance flights would inform the government’s decision on whether to launch air strikes against IS militant targets.

“The fight against terrorism needs to be carried out at home, but also in the places where it is entrenched,” Hollande said in reference to large swaths of Syria and Iraq controlled by IS jihadists.

The French president said the flights would start as early as Tuesday and in coordination with the US-led coalition fighting the IS group.