Germany announced a ban on the so-called ’Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL) on Friday, saying it aimed to prevent the militants from recruiting in Germany.

Germany announced a ban on the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISIL) on Friday, saying it aimed to prevent the militants from recruiting in Germany, especially via the internet, or from using gunmen returning to Europe to carry out attacks.

Coinciding with the launch of a broad U.S. campaign against the militants, which could include air strikes in Syria as well as Iraq, Germany introduced an immediate ban making all ISIL propaganda, symbols and activities illegal.

The move will also ban making donations to the group, meetings and propaganda being distributed. ISIL assets in Germany also to be confiscated and the authorities examine whether to prosecute the group's supporters in the country.

The ban, however, doesn’t mean ISIL has been outlawed as a foreign terrorist organization as a court judgment is still needed to do that.

To help counter ISIL military gains in Iraq, Chancellor Angela Merkel has broken with Germany's post-war policy of not sending arms to war zones and has begun to send weapons and equipment to Iraqi Kurds fighting the militants.

"The terrorist organization ISIL is a threat to public safety in Germany as well," said Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, estimating that over 400 Germans have joined ISIL in Iraq and Syria and about 40 have died.

More than 100 are back in Germany including "some with combat experience who have learned to hate", he said.

ISIL runs aggressive German-language recruitment campaigns on social media "to get young women and men to join the jihad and fight and murder", the minister said.

But security services alone cannot stop the radicalization of young Muslims, de Maiziere said, urging "parents, siblings, neighbors and friends" to help. He praised the main Muslim community groups for standing up to the "barbaric" organization.

Meanwhile, the German government will not take part in air strikes proposed by the United States against militants, an aide to Merkel said on Friday.

"The stabilization of the region is of great concern to the German government but I can rule out participation in military air strikes," said Merkel's spokeswoman Christiane Wirtz.