Here's a translation of the full quote from Putin regarding his claim this morning that upward of 5,000 Free Syrian Army fighters are attacking "terrorist" positions along with Syrian goverment troops.
"I emphasize that the work of our air group [in Syria] is facilitating the joint efforts of government forces and the Free Syrian Army. Now several of its parts totaling more than 5,000 men are, just like the regular forces, carrying out offensives against terrorists in Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Raqqa. Apart from that, we are supporting them from the air, just like the Syrian army, we are giving them assistance with weapons, ammunition and material resources," Putin said.
Putin was speaking at an extended Defense Ministry meeting this morning.
And here's a full translation of Putin's comments about the Russian military's "harsh response" if it is threatened in Syria.
"I want to warn those who are again trying to organize any sort of provocation against our military personnel. We have already taken additonal measures to safeguard Russian military personnel and air bases [in Syria]. It is reinforced with new air squadrons and air defense assets," Putin said.
"All air strike operations are carried out with fighter cover. I order you to act in a very tough manner. Any targets that threaten the Russian [military] group or our ground infrastructure will be destroyed immediately."
Geneva remains on high alert today as police carry out further searches in the city for several suspected extremists who are believed to have links to the IS group, AFP reports.
The region in western Switzerland remains at alert-level three out of five, the local government told AFP this morning.
"For now, there is no change to the security situation," said spokeswoman Emmanuelle Lo Verso, who on December 10 said police were investigating "a specific threat", and were "actively searching" for suspects.
Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, has criticized the deployment of Turkish troops and tanks to northern Iraq without Baghdad's approval, AFP reports.
No country should "send its soldiers to the territory of another state under the pretext of supporting it in fighting terrorism without the conclusion of an agreement... between the governments of the two countries," Sistani said in remarks delivered by a representative at weekly Friday Prayers.
This is a purported image of IS militants in the Libyan city of Sabratha.
The militants took over Sabratha's downtown yesterday without any resistance, according to reports.
There has been some confusion and somewhat conflicting reports over what exactly happened in the Libyan town of Sabratha on December 10.
Reports are now suggesting that IS militants took over downtown Sabratha without any resistance yesterday. The militants made a show of force and then mostly retreated after talks with local leaders.
Italian journalist Daniele Raineri has this assessment:
There have been concerns that if IS takes over Sabratha, it could destroy some of the priceless Roman heritage sites there.
Syria's antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim has accused Turkey of refusing to return looted objects from ancient heritage sites in Syria or to provide information about them, allegations denied by the Turkish government.
Abdulkarim made his comments in an interview with Reuters in Vienna.
He said that more than 2,000 objects looted from sites taken over by IS in Syria had been seized in Turkey, which has refused to cooperate with the Syrian authorities on documenting and returning the artifacts.
"The Turkish government refuses to register (the seized objects). There is no information, no pictures. It's not transparent," Abdulkarim said.
"They should change their approach. They told us, we cannot (do this) because our law (prohibits) us from declaring what we have."
This just in from Turkey's Daily Sabah about the latest development in the spat between Iraq and Turkey over Turkey's deployment of troops to northern Iraq.
Morocco has issued an arrest warrant for Paris attacks suspect Salah Abdeslam. Reuters is reporting.
Abdelslam has been on the run since the November 13 attacks. He was traced to Belgium but the the trail went cold and police suspected he may have gone to Syria.
Al Aan reporter Jenan Moussa tweets this about the reports that IS militants entered the Libyan town of Sabratha yesterday.