More military aid to fight IS pledged

President Francois Hollande has announced France will send artillery equipment to Iraq as part of increased military aid to fight Islamic State extremists, after the deadly Bastille Day lorry attack in Nice.

Mr Hollande said the equipment will be in place next month, as part of French efforts to boost its participation in the US-led fight against IS, which claimed responsibility for the Nice attack.

France has been conducting air strikes against IS and providing military training, but Mr Hollande reiterated that he would not send ground troops.

He spoke after an emergency security meeting in Paris, his fourth such meeting since Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel rammed through a Bastille Day event, killing 84 people. Mr Hollande said 12 people wounded in the attack are still fighting for their lives. Earlier, authorities in Nice refused a request from French anti-terror police to dele t e surveillance camera images of last week’s deadly attack, amid growing questions over the scale of the police presence at the time.

The city received a letter this week from the SDAT anti-terrorism agency saying images of the July 14 attack should be destroyed, an official at Nice City Hall said.

The city is filing a legal complaint instead, arguing that the images could constitute evidence in the case, said the official. The letter did not provide a reason for the request.