BERLIN - The Bundestag, lower house of the German parliament, voted on Friday with a large majority to join the combat mission against the Islamic State (IS).

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition used its majority in the Bundestag to pass the deployment of German armed forces against the IS under UN and EU collective security laws. The mandate was endorsed by 445 parliamentarians, with 146 others voting no and seven abstaining.

The deployment outlined earlier this week by German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will involve six "Tornado" reconnaissance planes, a refueling aircraft, a frigate to help guard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, as well as logistics and command personnel and satellite links.

In total, Germany plans to send up to 1,200 troops to support the international alliance in its anti-terror actions. The mission becomes Germany's largest overseas deployment of troops at the moment.

The German armed forces are expected to start deploying reconnaissance planes in the coming week to Turkey where a NATO military base is located.

Berlin's decision for the anti-IS mission came after France requested aid in combating the IS following deadly attacks in Paris on Nov. 13 that claimed 130 lives. The IS claimed responsibility for the attacks.

The German cabinet approved on Tuesday a mandate offering military assistance in the fight against the IS in Syria. The mandate would stay in effect until December 31, 2016.(Xinhua)