German MPs have voted in favour of providing military support to coalition airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria today.

The country will send reconnaissance aircraft, a naval frigate and 1,200 soldiers to support the international coalition carrying out strikes against militants in Syria.

However Germany will not stage airstrikes, instead offering military support to the coalition.

Discussing Germany's planned commitment earlier this week, German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said, "I would not have imagined two years ago what sort of an abyss we would be staring into".

Germany's plan, which will initially last for a year, is expected to cost €134m, BBC reports.

The move comes in the wake of the gun and bomb attacks in Paris last month, which left 130 people dead.

Following the attacks, the United Nations Security Council unanimously backed a French call to redouble action against Islamic State.

The world powers also agreed to co-ordinate efforts aimed at preventing further atrocities by IS - but the resolution did not provide any legal basis for military action.

The Security Council said IS "constitutes a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security", and it expressed the determination "to combat by all means this unprecedented threat".

Yesterday, British warplanes carried out strikes on IS targets, just hours after MPs there voted to in favour of military action.

Jets conducted further intelligence missions over eastern Syria overnight, as well as attacking Islamic State targets in Iraq.

RAF raids will continue in eastern and northern Syria over coming weeks.

British Prime Minister David Cameron says MPs have taken the "right decision to keep the UK safe". However the decision also saw anti-war protests held outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

US President Barack Obama welcomed the UK's vote - saying it demonstrated the coalition's "unity and resolve".

France - which began bombing IS targets in Syria in September - said it showed Europeans will stand together after the terror attacks in Paris.