Former LafargeHolcim chief executive Eric Olsen was charged late Thursday as part of a probe into the alleged indirect financing of jihadist groups in Syria, a judicial source said.

The 53-year old, who became CEO in 2015 when France's Lafarge merged with Swiss group Holcim, is charged with "financing of a terrorist organisation" and "endangering the lives of others", the source said.

Lafarge is accused of paying the Islamic State (IS) group and other militants through a middleman so that the company's factory in Jalabiya, northern Syria, could continue to operate in a war zone.

Olsen, who was also placed under judicial supervision, had been taken in for questioning Wednesday over the allegations, along with another ex-CEO, Bruno Lafont, and former deputy managing director for operations Christian Herrault.