War, diplomacy gather intensity

Global efforts to combat the ISIS gathered pace Monday as British PM David Cameron pledged solidarity during a visit to France and Russian leader Vladimir Putin met his allies in Iran.

A week of frantic international diplomacy was under way with French President Francois Hollande set to meet all five UNSC permanent members, and the US trying to rally support for a ceasefire in Syria.

“I firmly support the action President Hollande has taken to strike ISIL in Syria,” Mr Cameron said, adding, “It’s my firm conviction that Britain should do so too.”

Meanwhile, Mr Putin met Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first trip in eight years to Tehran. Describing the meeting as “quite constructive”, the Kremlin said the two were against “external attempts to dictate scenarios of political settlement in Syria”.

France launched strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq on Monday in the first sorties from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. Army Chief of Staff General Pierre de Villiers, aboard the carrier, said planes from the carrier would strike IS targets in Syria, including command and recruitment centres, in “a matter of hours or days”.