France will supply arms to Iraq's Kurds "in the coming hours", French President Francois Hollande has announced, according to BBC News.

France has received approval from authorities in Baghdad for the decision, French media said.

Kurdish forces have been fighting militants from the Islamic State (IS) group. The conflict has displaced thousands of people. The U.S. has also reportedly begun supplying weapons to the Kurdish forces, known as the Peshmerga.

A statement from Hollande's office said the move was "in response to the urgent need expressed by the regional authorities in Kurdistan".

Earlier the U.S. announced it had sent 130 more military advisers to the Kurdish region.

The marines and special operations forces will assess the humanitarian situation and will not be engaged in combat, a U.S. defense official said.

The US has been carrying out air strikes against IS fighters in northern Iraq.

The political leader of Iraq's Kurds, Massoud Barzani, earlier appealed for international military aid to help defeat the Islamist militants.