France, Russia launch more strikes against IS targets in Syria

A frame grab taken from a footage released by Russia's Defence Ministry, November 17, 2015, shows a Russian Tupolev Tu-160 long-range bomber flying over an unknown location in Syria. [Photo/Agencies]

In an extraordinary address to the two chambers of parliament, French President Francois Hollande pledged that the country would intensify the assaults on the IS.

"We will continue the strikes in the coming weeks," he said, adding that France's aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle would be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean, which would "triple our capacity of action."

"There will be no respite, no truce," said Hollande, who has declared "a war against jihadist terrorism which threatens the whole world."

In Moscow, the Kremlin acknowledged that a bomb had destroyed the jet last month, killing 224 people. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to hunt down those responsible and intensify air strikes against Islamists in Syria.

"Our air force's military work in Syria must not simply be continued," he said. "It must be intensified in such a way that the criminals understand that retribution is inevitable."

Syrian targets hit by Russian long-range bombers and cruise missiles on Tuesday included the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa, while French warplanes also targeted Raqqa on Tuesday evening - the third such bombing raid within 48 hours.

The Kremlin said Putin spoke to Hollande by telephone and had ordered the Russian navy to establish contact with a French naval force heading to the eastern Mediterranean, led by an aircraft carrier, and to treat them as allies.