Hollande announces France to redeploy aircraft carrier

PARIS – President Francois Hollande has announced that France will redeploy the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier this fall to step up the fight against the Islamic State group and suggested an increase in ground troops for training and support to take back Mosul, in northern Iraq.

Hollande, speaking Wednesday ahead of the Bastille Day military parade Thursday, said "we must strike and destroy those who aggressed us here" in two sets of attacks last year.

Hollande said the November attacks in Paris claimed by the Islamic State "were decided" in Raqqa, Syria and Mosul in northern Iraq, the two strongholds of the Islamic State group.

Those attacks killed 130 and 17 more died in two January attacks.

With the carrier battle group in place, France can up its striking power in the U.S.-led coalition carrying out strikes on IS.