Jihadists behead kidnapped Frenchman in Algeria

Jihadists linked to the Islamic State group beheaded a Frenchman abducted in Algeria in a video posted online yesterday, after Paris rejected their demand to halt air strikes in Iraq.

President Francois Hollande 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 was once a magnet for tourists but later 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 today to discuss Gourdel's murder and vowed to hunt down his killers.

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.