President Francois Hollande will on Friday visit the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the eastern Mediterranean off Syria where it is being used to conduct air strikes on Islamic State targets, his office said.

"He will meet military personnel taking part in operations to intensify the fight against Daesh in Syria and Iraq," a statement from the Elysee Palace said, using another name for the jihadist group that carried out the attacks in Paris three weeks ago.