Russia And France To Co-ordinate IS Strikes

Vladimir Putin and Francois Hollande have said their forces will share more intelligence and co-ordinate strikes against the "mutual enemy" of Islamic State (IS).

The Russian and French presidents also agreed to only target IS and similar jihadi groups.

Russia has previously been accused by the West of also attacking anti-Assad rebels in order to prop up the regime.

The announcements came as Mr Hollande visited the Kremlin for talks on how to defeat the terror group.

"What we agreed, and this is important, is to strike only terrorists and Daesh (Islamic State) and to not strike forces that are fighting terrorism," said the French President.

"We will exchange information about whom to hit and whom not to hit," Mr Hollande told a joint news conference.

Both countries recently suffered devastating terrorist attacks.

A Russian Metrojet plane was bombed out of the sky in Egypt last month, killing 224 people, with an IS affiliate group claiming responsibility.

The attacks on Paris - again claimed by IS - killed 130 people

At the start of talks in Moscow, Mr Hollande said an alliance of countries must join together to attack the group.

"Our enemy is Daesh, Islamic State, it has territory, an army and resources, so we must create this large coalition to hit these terrorists," he said.

Sky News' Moscow correspondent John Sparks said despite the words of co-operation the body language was "pretty awkward" with the leaders struggling to keep eye contact at times.

Both countries are carrying out bombing raids against IS in Syria.

Russia began at the end of September, while French planes stepped up attacks as part of the US-led coalition after the "act of war" on the streets of Paris.

Speaking after the talks, Mr Putin said President Bashar al Assad was the "natural ally" in the fight against IS, but that the Syrian people should ultimately decide his fate.

Mr Hollande however told reporters he had "no place" in Syria's future and called for the creation of a transitional government to arrange elections.

He added that France would also step its support for the rebels fighting IS on the ground.

More than 200,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the country's civil war and there is evidence the Assad regime has used chemical weapons.

Mr Hollande has held talks with key world leaders following the atrocities at the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France and Paris restaurants.

Earlier this week, he met President Barack Obama in Washington, as well as David Cameron and Angela Merkel in Paris.

Mr Cameron today pushed his case for expanding RAF airstrikes from Iraq to Syria.

He told the Commons it was in the national interest to attack IS in their heartland.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has written to his MPs to say he does back the plan and that Mr Cameron's case for strikes is unconvincing.