French fighter jets hit Islamic State Command Center near Mosul

Washington: French warplanes "destroyed" an ISIS group command center and a training camp near the key northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

"The target was hit" in the nearby city of Tal Afar, a French official said.

It took place as French President Francois Hollande visited Washington for talks with his US counterpart Barack Obama.

Eleven days after the deadly attacks that killed 130 people in Paris, Obama and Hollande announced they would intensify their air raids against IS, and urged Russia to focus its military efforts against the group.

The aerial assault, which took place around 1830 GMT, was conducted jointly with the US Air Force and last about five hours, the French defense ministry said in a statement.