Russia tells U.S. fight against Syrian militants must be intensified

Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov arrives at the ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Vientiane, Laos July 25, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/Files

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday that the fight against extremist groups in Syria must be stepped up because they are using poison gas on civilians. Lavrov and Kerry discussed the Syria conflict in a phone call, the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. The two men spoke a day after Moscow sharply criticised U.S. behaviour in Syria, accusing Washington of backing rebels who use poison gas against civilians and of killing hundreds in air strikes. (Reporting by Polina Devitt; Editing by Andrew Osborn)