France will supply weapons to Iraq to support its fight against the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL), French President Francois Hollande said Friday (July 22nd), but ruled out any troop deployment in the country, AFP reported.
"This morning at the defence council, I took the decision as part of the anti-ISIL coalition to make weapons available to Iraqi forces," Hollande said. "They will be there next month."
An aide to the president said the weaponry would include artillery batteries and that France would also send military advisors to train Iraqi forces in using them.
Hollande said France would also be sending the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier to the region "at the end of September".
The carrier "will allow us to intensify strikes against terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq," he said.
