France can only work with Syrian army as part of a power transition - Fabius

A man rides a bicycle past damaged buildings in the Douma neighborhood of Damascus, Syria November 26, 2015. REUTERS/Bassam Khabieh

PARIS (Reuters) - Working with Syrian government forces to combat Islamic State can only happen within the framework of a credible political transition for Syria, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday.

Earlier Fabius had appeared to suggest President Bashar al Assad's forces could be used to battle the Islamic State militants, which would mark a departure in the Western position that the Syrian leader must step down. Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem cautiously welcomed Fabius' earlier comments.