FRANCE said today that it will send arms to Kurdish forces in Iraq to support their fight against the Islamic State group (Isis).

The arms shipment would be delivered “in the coming hours” and had been agreed with authorities in Baghdad.

Citing the “catastrophic” situation in Iraqi Kurdistan, it added that “mobilisation in support of Kurdistan and all Iraq must continue.”

It did not specify what weapons it was sending.

Paris had earlier pledged a second shipment of humanitarian aid to northern Iraq, saying an airlift of 20 tons of medicine, tents and water treatment material would be sent to the Iraqi Kurdish capital Irbil.

It said its shipment was enough to help 50,000 people and pledged further operations in coming days “to aid populations in serious danger.”

The surprise announcement came as the US increased its role.

US officials said its intelligence agencies are directly arming the Kurds, although Kurdish sources complain that they are only receiving ammunition, not the heavy artillery they need to oppose Isis.

France called earlier this week for an urgent meeting of European Union foreign ministers to consider Kurdish requests for arms and an aid airlift to northern Iraq.

But the EU failed on Tuesday to agree on a joint position on supplying weapons to Kurdistan, although it admitted that it could not stop individual members sending arms in co-ordination with Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insisted that it would take a federal court ruling for him to leave power, defying the president’s decision to task a rival with forming the next government.

Mr Maliki claimed that the appointment of Haider al-Abadi to replace him as prime minister was a “violation” of the constitution and “had no value.

“I confirm that the government will continue and there will not be a replacement for it without a decision from the federal court,” Mr Maliki insisted.

Iraqi troops appeared in force on the streets of Baghdad yesterday after Mr Maliki’s midnight address.

Tanks and Humvees were positioned on bridges and at major intersections, with security personnel more visible than usual.