French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Friday he could envisage Syrian regime troops taking part in the fight to crush the Islamic State jihadists that claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks.

In order to fight IS, "there must be two measures: bombings... and ground troops who cannot be ours, but who should be of the (opposition) Free Syrian Army, Sunni Arab forces, and why not regime forces too," Fabius told RTL radio.

Fabius later clarified his position, telling AFP he meant that Syrian government troops could take part in the fight against IS after a change of regime.

It could happen "within the context of a political transition -- and only in this context," he said.

The principal target of military efforts remains Raqa, the Syrian city that is the stronghold of IS, Fabius said. Russian and French jets have targeted the town in recent days.

"For us it is one of the main military targets, even the main one, because it is the nerve centre of Daesh, and the attacks against France were planned from there," Fabius said, using another name for IS.
Source: AFP