British prime minister says at talks with Hollande after Paris attacks that French aircraft can use Cyprus base

David Cameron has given strong backing to the French president François Hollande’s global quest to eradicate Islamic State in the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks, offering the use of Britain’s RAF base on Cyprus from which to launch airstrikes against the militant group in Syria.



The prime minister also signalled his determination to persuade the UK parliament to back airstrikes against Isis targets in Syria. “We must also do more to defeat Isil in their heartlands in Syria and Iraq,” he said. “I firmly support the action President Hollande has taken to strike Isil [Isis] in Syria and it is my firm conviction that Britain should do so too.”

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Cameron accompanied Hollande to place a white rose outside the Bataclan concert hall in Paris where 89 people watching a gig by the US band Eagles of Death Metal were shot dead by gunmen in the worst of the coordinated attacks that killed a total of 130 on 13 November. The two leaders then held talks at the Élysée Palace over how Britain could support what Hollande has deemed France’s mission to “eradicate” terrorism and crush Isis.

“We will intensify our strikes, choosing targets that will do the most damage possible to this army of terrorists,” Hollande said.

The French defence ministry said later on Monday it had launched its first airstrikes from the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, bombing Isis targets in the Iraqi cities of Ramadi and Mosul. The ministry said that four Rafale fighter jets had been sent from the carrier.

Speaking alongside the French president, Cameron said: “The United Kingdom will do all in our power to support our friend and ally France to defeat this evil death cult.”

Cameron said the decision to launch British airstrikes against Isis would be “for parliament to make” and said that later this week he would set out a comprehensive strategy for tackling Isis.

However, the prime minister offered practical help to France in its air campaign in Syria. “I have offered President Hollande the use of RAF Akrotiri for French aircraft engaged in counter-Isil operations and additional assistance for air-to-air refuelling,” he said.

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As a major anti-terrorism operation continues in Belgium after the Paris attacks, Cameron called for more pan-European measures to tackle such threats. “In particular, we must do more to tackle the threat of returning foreign fighters. This requires a pan-European effort.

“We must, without further delay, agree the rules to enable us to share passenger name records. It is frankly ridiculous we can get more information from countries outside the EU than we can from each other.”

Cameron said he and Hollande stood “shoulder to shoulder” and he paid tribute to the courage of the French people after the attacks in Paris.

Cameron’s breakfast visit to Paris came as the Socialist French president, who has declared that France is “at war”, began an intensive week of international diplomacy in his push to create a “grand coalition” to destroy Isis. He will travel to Washington on Tuesday for talks with Barack Obama before meeting the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the Italian prime minister, Matteo Renzi. He will then travel to Moscow on Thursday for talks on Russia’s role.

World leaders continued to consider how to respond to a string of recent terrorist attacks – including the bombing of a Russian plane over Egypt – with the UK moving nearer to joining allied airstrikes in Syria. Cameron will present the case for increasing British military involvement to parliament later this week – with the Paris attacks and a unanimous UN security council resolution apparently galvanising support among MPs.

A Commons vote on airstrikes could be held as early as next week, with George Osborne arguing that the Paris attacks and the UN resolution backing “all necessary measures” were swaying the argument.

“We’ll make the case as a government. We will allow MPs to digest that response and then we will see where we stand. Frankly, Britain has never been a country that stands on the sidelines and relies on others to defend us,” the chancellor said.

Belgian police have arrested 21 people since Sunday night in a major anti-terror operation, but the suspected Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam remained at large, a federal prosecutor said.

No arms or explosives were found during 24 raids across Brussels – including in the Molenbeek area from where the Paris attack was allegedly planned.

Abdeslam was said by Le Soir newspaper to have been identified fleeing in the direction of Germany in a BMW. The federal prosecutor said in a statement that a BMW sighting near Liège that had been rumoured to contain Abdeslam had no links with the investigation.

The authorities urged a social media blackout of operations as the manhunt continued for surviving members of the group responsible for the deaths of 130 people in Paris.

Brussels remained on high alert on Monday over fears of a similar attack by Isis. Schools, universities and the metro system remained closed and some workers were advised to stay home while key suspects remained at large.

• This article was corrected on 23 November 2015. In it, we said that Matteo Renzi was Italy’s president. He is of course the prime minister. This has been corrected.