PARIS -- France will send arms to Kurdish forces in Iraq "in the coming hours" to support their fight against radicals of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). The shipment has been agreed with authorities in Baghdad, according to a statement released by France's presidency on Wednesday.
Citing the "catastrophic" situation in Iraqi Kurdistan where religious minorities are being persecuted by advancing radicals, it added that "mobilization in support of Kurdistan and of all Iraq must continue." France did not specify what weapons it was sending. The announcement comes as the United States has also increased its role in fighting ISIS. Senior American officials say U.S. intelligence agencies are directly arming the Kurds who are battling the militants.
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