France call for ‘effective’ action against al-Nusra front in Syria

Sunday, 10 July 2016 1:21 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 10 July 2016 1:21 AM ]

French President Francois Hollande attends the final press conference of the NATO Summit at the Polish National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, on July 9, 2016. (AFP)

French President Francois Hollande has called for the increasing of military action against the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front terrorist group in Syria.

"Daesh is in retreat, that is beyond dispute…we must also avoid a situation whereby as Daesh becomes weaker, other groups become stronger," said Hollande during a meeting with the leaders of the United States, Germany, Britain, Italy and Ukraine held on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Warsaw on Saturday.

The Takfiri elements operating in the Arab country have suffered major setbacks over the past few months as the Syrian army has managed to liberate a number of areas from the grip of the extremists.

Stressing that al-Nusra may benefit from the recent losses sustained by Daesh in Syria over the past few months, Hollande called on the US and Russia to increase their military actions against the al-Qaeda affiliate.

"We must coordinate among ourselves to continue actions against Daesh but also... take effective action against al-Nusra," he added.

*A file photo of al-Nusra Front terrorists in Syria (AFP)*

On Wednesday, the Kremlin announced that Russia and the US are prepared for better coordination efforts in dealing with Takfiri terrorism in Syria.

The announcement was made following a Russia-initiated phone call between US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US and its allies have also been carrying out airstrikes in Syria purportedly against Daesh positions since September 2014. Russia has also been conducting airstrikes against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria at the Syrian government’s request since September 2015.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura estimates that over 400,000 people have been killed in the conflict. The UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.

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