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Conflict in Syria

Conflict in Syria may spiral into regional and inter-faith one — French foreign minister

The foreign minister also noted that it was necessary to carry out air strikes not only on Islamic State positions but also on the positions of "other terrorist groups, in particular, Jabhat al-Nusra"

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius EPA/PETER FOLEY

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius

© EPA/PETER FOLEY

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PARIS, October 5. /TASS/. The expansion of the military action in Syria carries multiple threats, up to the escalation of the civil war into a religious conflict on a regional scale, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told the Europe 1 radio station on Monday.

"When a civil war is becoming a regional conflict, numerous threats are created," Fabius said. "The biggest threat is that the conflict may become completely religious, with Sunnis and their allies fighting on one side and Shia and their allies on the other."

The foreign minister also noted that it was necessary to carry out air strikes not only on Islamic State positions but also on the positions of "other terrorist groups, in particular, Jabhat al-Nusra." Fabius explained that the statement of French President Francis Hollande that Russian air strikes "should be directed against Islamic State and exclusively Islamic State" "was hastily worded."

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