Jihadists behead French hostage in Algeria

 
JIHADISTS linked to the Islamic State group have beheaded a Frenchman abducted in Algeria in a video posted online, after Paris rejected their demand to halt air strikes in Iraq.
PRESIDENT Francois Hollande on Wednesday condemned the "cruel and cowardly" murder of Herve Gourdel and said it would only strengthen France's resolve to pursue its air war against the Islamic State group.
The 55-year-old was kidnapped on Sunday by Jund al-Khilifa, or "Soldiers of the Caliphate," while hiking in a national park that became a sanctuary for Islamists. His beheading followed France's rejection of the group's 24-hour ultimatum to halt air raids in Iraq - part of a US-led campaign against IS. Hollande vowed France would not be deterred from continuing its military action. "This aggression only reinforces my determination," he said, speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He said he would convene a special security meeting on Thursday to discuss Gourdel's murder and vowed to hunt down his killers. "The perpetrators of this odious crime must be punished," he said. The video, entitled "A Message with Blood to the French Government", employs a similar style to those used in previous videos by IS showing the beheadings of three Western hostages. It begins with a clip of Hollande at a press conference where he announced strikes against IS in Iraq. The video then shows Gourdel on his knees with his hands behind his back in front of four armed militants with covered-up faces. The Frenchman briefly expresses his love for his family before one of the jihadists reads a speech in which he denounces the actions of the "French criminal crusaders" against Muslims in Algeria, Mali and Iraq. The jihadist says the beheading is to "avenge the victims in Algeria... and support the caliphate" proclaimed by IS in Iraq and Syria. Gourdel only arrived in Algeria on Saturday and was seized the following day while hiking in the heart of the Djurdjura National Park, whose dense forests, deep gorges and picturesque lakes were once a major attraction for tourists. The mountains became a hideout for Islamists in the 1990s who later swore allegiance to al-Qaeda, and security forces have been unable to dislodge them. A passionate photographer and mountaineer, Gourdel liked going off the beaten track, though he was always careful, his friends said. "Going to far-away isolated countries is consistent with his personality," said Michel Ingigliardi, his friend of 30 years. Before the video was released, Gourdel's family expressed hope for his freedom and spoke of their anguish. "We learned with great pain of the kidnapping of Herve Gourdel, our father, our partner, our son, our brother and our very dear friend," said a family statement