Hollande says France doesn't pay ransoms for hostages

French President Francois Hollande reaffirmed on Thursday that Paris did not pay ransoms or exchange prisoners for the release of its citizens that are held hostage overseas.        

When asked why France had been able to secure from Islamic State the release of four of its nationals in Syria earlier this year, while neither Britain nor the United States had been able to get their hostages released, Hollande said:        

"France does not pay ransoms. France doesn't engage in prisoner exchanges, but that doesn't mean other countries don't. Some countries have done it to help us, I admit that," he said.     

The French hostages in Syria were released after getting help from other countries, he said without elaborating.         

British and American officials have suggested in recent weeks that their nationals had been killed by Islamic State militants in part because other countries were paying ransoms.        

France still has one hostage held in Mali by al Qaeda's north African arm AQIM.

Earlier on Thursday, Hollande said French fighter jets will soon strike targets against Islamic State militants in Iraq once reconnaissance missions have identified targets.

"As soon as we have identified targets, that means in a short time frame," Hollande told a news conference when asked when French air strikes would begin in Iraq.        

"It will be air support to protect Iraqi soldiers and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to reduce and weaken this terrorist group."  

French President Hollande also ruled out carrying out any military action against Islamic State militants in Syria, but said he had told Iraqi authorities France was ready to carry out air strikes against the militants there.       

"I have decided to respond positively to the Iraqi authorities to provide air support," Hollande told a news conference. "We will not go beyond that. There will not be ground troops and we will only intervene in Iraq."         

On another note, Hollande said France will set up a military hospital in West Africa in the coming days as part of France's contribution to the fight against the Ebola outbreak there.

Hollande said that France's response to the outbreak would not be limited to a financial contribution to European funds being made available to fight the virus, which the World Health Organization said on Thursday had claimed 2,630 lives so far.          

"I have therefore taken the decision to set up a military hospital in the coming days in ... the forests of Guinea, in the heart of the outbreak," Hollande said during a news conference. 

Turning to Scotland, French President Francois Hollande said the result of the Scottish referendum was not only decisive for Britain, but for all of Europe.       

"After half a century of building Europe, we risk entering a period of deconstruction," Hollande told a news conference.       

"The Scottish referendum is taking place at this moment which can decide the future of Britain, but also of Europe," Hollande said.