France Dropping Some Bombs on ISIS, Too

French fighter jets struck targets in Iraq on Thursday and the United States and its allies stepped up air raids in Syriaagainst Islamic State militants who have taken over large areas of both countries.

France's strikes were its first since Sept. 19 when Paris joined the United States military action against Islamic State in Iraq and followed the beheading of a French tourist, reported late on Wednesday, in Algeria in retaliation.

Overnight, U.S.-led air strikes in eastern Syria killed 14 Islamic State fighters, according to a monitoring group, while on the ground, Kurdish forces were reported to have pushed back an advance by the Islamists towards the border town of Kobani.