France's Hollande visits Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier off the Syrian coast

French President Francois Hollande arrived by helicopter aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier on Friday (December 4) as the sun was setting on a picturesque sea off the coast of Syria.

 France deployed the Charles de Gaulle to the eastern Mediterranean to bolster its operations against Islamic State in the wake of the deadly gun and bomb attacks by Islamic State in Paris on November 13.

 French warplanes have been bombing Islamic State in Iraq for more than a year, and in Syria since September. France stepped up its bombing in Syria after the attacks three weeks ago that killed 130 people.

 French military aircraft have flown reconnaissance and intelligence missions over Libya, including areas controlled by Islamic State, and more are planned, a presidential document shows.

 According to the press dossier provided on Friday ahead of Hollande's visit to the Charles de Gaulle, two missions were flown on November 20 and 21 around the towns of Sirte and Tobruk.