1ST LEAD Hollande visits French aircraft carrier deployed in Syria fight By Jessica Camille Aguirre and Petra Klingbeil, dpa

Paris (dpa) - French President Francois Hollande on Friday visited a French aircraft carrier serving as a launching pad for air missions against the Islamic State militant group over Syria and Iraq, Elysee Palace said.The president met military personnel aboard the Charles de Gaulle carrier in a visit that underscored France‘s heightened military aims in the region after it scaled up airstrikes against Islamic State after the group claimed responsibility for the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, which left 130 people dead.Hollande was accompanied by Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on the impromptu two-hour visit to the vessel sailing in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria‘s coast, the president‘s office said.Rafale warplanes fly from the 260-metre-long ship to carry out airstrikes in Iraq and Syria that have been directed mostly at Islamic State training centres. Recent missions have also targeted the militants‘ stronghold of al-Raqqa, Syria.Thirty-eight fighter jets and military planes are on board the Charles de Gaulle. They began their raids November 23. The aircraft also carry out reconnaissance.The Elysee said 59 operational missions have been carried out from the aircraft carrier.