GETTY French Foreign Legion are set to take on ISIS

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French special operations troops are already in action in Libya, Syria and Iraq after President Francois Hollande declared war on the jihadist group but there are calls growing for the legion of foreign fighters to be sent to tackle ISIS. The feared fighting force has a long history of battling Islamist extremists, including al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. In 2013 they embarked on a two-year campaign - code-named Operation Serval - against Boko Haram fanatics in the former African colony of Mali.

Five years earlier they fought alongside European Union troops in Chad and before that in the Ivory Coast during the country’s civi war. It is unclear what role if the Legion is planning to play in the current war against ISIS but pressure is mounting on the French government to allow the infantry or airborne units of the force to contribute to the war on terror. Dr Jean-Marc Rickli, a researcher in European security at Kings College London, said French troops were already heavily involved in anti-ISIS operations in Libya, Syria and Iraq as well as the thousands of soldiers on the streets of French cities after a spate of terror attacks rocked the country.

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He said President Hollande was likely to deploy a small number of Legion troops in the ongoing battle against the jihadi death cult - also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh. He told Express.co.uk: “Right now the French army’s abilities are limited. “They are overstretched with troops in the Middle East and on French soil and I think it is unlikely they would deploy a large Foreign Legion element. If they do it would be a small unit.”

GETTY Nationals from any country can join the foreign legion

GETTY Recruits signing up for the legion

Several US commentators have issued a call to arms for Americans to join the international brigade. While the legion is a branch of the French Army, it welcomes recruits from any country, and French troops are thought to make up just a quarter of the force. French officers are in command but it is the only unit of the country's military that does not swear allegiance to the nation.

GETTY Legion forces have ben fighting in Afghanistan and Mali

Its popularity is growing as a truly international anti-Coalition which is less restricted by national politics. But some commentators have gone even further and called for the creation of an American Foreign Legion. Sean McFate, a senior fellow at the Washington-based think tank Atlantic Council, said: “An American Foreign Legion would solve many problems that have plagued us in the past decade of war. “It would provide a publicly acceptable, truly volunteer force for long-term operations in the Middle East. “An American Foreign Legion would create many solutions, including a viable Middle East strategy.”