France Launches 'Massive' Airstrike On Syria

French defence official says the country has launched a "massive" series of airstrikes on the Islamic State group's de facto capital in Syria, destroying a jihadi training camp and a munitions dump.

The attack comes after Isis claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated terror attacks that left 129 people dead and injured 352 more in six locations throughout Paris on Saturday.

The ministry spokesman said Sunday that the strikes on Raqqa involved 12 aircraft, including 10 fighter jets, and 20 bombs were dropped.

The spokesman spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to speak publicly.

The strikes came after Us President Barack Obama sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin for crucial talks on how to tackle Isis.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the G20 summit and pledged to eliminate Isis and end the Syrian war that has fueled the terror group's rise.

Their huddle over a coffee table in Antalya, Turkey, came after Isis claimed responsibility for the coordinated attacks in Paris that left 129 people dead and hundreds injured.

The two leaders, who saw each other for the first time since Russia started air strikes over Syria in September, chatted in a foursome with Mr Obama's national security adviser Susan Rice and a Russian aide.

Their meeting was visible on a television feed provided by the summit's host country but their conversation could not be heard.

The White House says the 35-minute encounter centered on talks to end Syria's civil war and that the two leaders agreed that the country needs a political transition led by Syrians. The transition would be preceded by negotiations mediated by the United Nations and a cease-fire.

The two leaders also discussed the conflict in Ukraine and Obama expressed condolences for the victims in the Russian plane crash in the Sinai Peninsula last month.

They also discussed a new proposal to end the Syrian conflict and Obama's hope that Russia's airstrikes in Syria will focus on Isis, not opposition groups fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad.

During the talks with world leaders, Mr Obama said: "The skies have been darkened' by the attacks in Paris."

He vowed to stand in solidarity with France and aid the effort to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Mr Putin urged nations to pool their efforts to combat terrorism, adding that the fight must respect international law, the UN Charter and each nation's sovereign rights and interests.

"We understand very well that it's only possible to deal with the terror threat and help millions of people who lost their homes by combining efforts of the entire global community," Putin said.

- AP and www.nzherald.co.nz