France on Tuesday hailed the recapture by Syrian forces of the ancient city of Palmyra as "positive news" but stressed Damascus bore the main blame for the war in Syria, AFP reports.
"The advances against Daesh today cannot erase the fact that the (Syrian) regime bears the main responsibility for the conflict and its 270,000 dead over the past five years," said foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal, using an alternate name for the "Islamic State" (ISIS) terrorist group, also known by the acronyms of ISIS and ISIL.
Speaking at a press briefing, Nadal reiterated France's call for a halt to attacks on "moderate opposition groups" in Syria.