'France to conduct more strikes against IS in Syria'

Paris: France will launch more air strikes targeting the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and training camps of potential terrorists to ensure its security, the country`s Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.

"There will be other strikes. There will be other commitments to protect us, to prevent these training camps and foreign fighters from training terrorists who come here in France and Europe to attack us," Xinhua news agency quoted Le Drian as saying on Monday.

On Sunday, France launched its first strikes against the IS by targeting one of its "strategic sites" in Syria.

Earlier this month, Paris began reconnaissance flights in order to collect information on IS positions and targets.

France, a harsh critic of the Syrian government, had previously ruled out any military intervention in Syria to avoid handing any advantages to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"The situation has changed," said Le Drian, adding the IS was preparing insurgents to commit attacks on French soil.