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BERLIN, Germany鈥擥ermany on Thursday offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refuelling and satellite images to back the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) jihadist group.

鈥淔rance was struck to the bone by the horrific attacks by the ISIS but we know that this inhumane rage can hit us or other societies at any time too,鈥� said Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, announcing the support.

The offer will have to be formally approved by Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 cabinet and supported by parliament, where Merkel鈥檚 鈥済rand coalition鈥� has an overwhelming majority.

In Paris, the Elysee presidential palace said French leader Francois Hollande 鈥渨armly鈥� thanked Germany for its support and predicted other European countries would follow suit.

The offer came a day after Merkel pledged in Paris to 鈥渧ery soon鈥� decide how to help its closest EU ally battle the ISIS group in Syria, and after she met cabinet ministers in charge of security and the major parties鈥� parliamentary groups.

The government had agreed on 鈥渄ifficult but correct and necessary steps,鈥� said von der Leyen at a press conference in the Reichstag building, flanked by Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

She said Germany could send Tornado aircraft fitted with surveillance technology that can take high-resolution photos and infrared images, even at night and in bad weather, and transmit them in real time to ground stations.

A German frigate could help protect the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean, from which fighter jets are carrying out bombing runs, and the tanker aircraft could refuel them mid-air to extend their range, she said.

鈥楳ore active role鈥�

Steinmeier said the political process must continue to find a solution to the Syrian conflict, but added that 鈥渨e also won鈥檛 get there without鈥� a military confrontation against the IS, Al-Nusra and other terrorist groups in Syria.鈥�

Earlier Thursday the defense policy spokesman of Merkel鈥檚 conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Henning Otte, had pledged that 鈥淕ermany will play a more active role than before.鈥�

Otte said Germany would go beyond its current arms shipments to and training of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces combating ISIS.

鈥淲e are not only strengthening the training mission in northern Iraq, but will step up our commitment in the fight against IS terror, among other things with RECCE reconnaissance Tornados,鈥� he said.

Post-war Germany has been traditionally reluctant to send troops abroad, although it has joined UN-mandated missions in the Balkans and elsewhere, and the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.

Germany has not taken part in air strikes against the ISIS in Syria and Iraq, which have been mainly flown by US and French aircraft.

Otte said that 鈥渢he ISIS can only be defeated militarily, therefore no idea must be ruled out as we engage in the fight against Islamist terrorism.鈥�

On Wednesday, von der Leyen said Germany would deploy 650 more troops to Mali to relieve the French-led mission there.

In a statement, Hollande鈥檚 office said the announcement from Berlin on Thursday was a 鈥渧ery major contribution, showing Germany鈥檚 will to play a frontline role in the fight against the mutual curse鈥� of IS.

The jihadist group claimed the November 13 terror assaults in Paris that claimed 130 lives and left 350 injured.

鈥淭he president is convinced that other European states will follow this move and answer his call for solidarity from member states of the European Union,鈥� the Elysee statement added.

France last week invoked a clause requiring EU member states to provide military assistance after the Paris attacks.

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