Islamic State jihadists have released a video that shows them beheading a French international, Herve Gourdel. The French hostage was killed after jihadists gave a one day deadline to the French government to cancel air strikes against ISIS.
President François Hollande confirmed that Herve, a French citizen, was beheaded by ISIS in Algeria. However, he said that the murder will only serve to increase France's efforts to fight the jihadists.
The 55-year-old Gourdel was a skilled mountain guide from France. He was abducted on Sunday when he was hiking in Algeria by Jund al-Khilifah members, an Islamic group which claims link with Islamic State. Before he met his death, he had only stayed in Algeria for a few days. He had gone to Algeria for a hiking holiday.
On Monday evening, the jihadist group released a video showing the kidnapping of Mr. Gourdel. Two hooded gunmen surrounded the French citizen. Their bone of contention was the French Government's assistance, led by President Francois Holland, of the U.S launching air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Consequently, the group had given the French government 24 hours to cancel their planned assistance.
Abu Muhammad al- Adnani, Islamic State spokesman, has called on Muslims to execute citizens of France, Australia, United States and any other country supporting air strikes against ISIS.
Earlier before Gourdel was murdered, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls had ruled out paying any ransom for Gourdel. He had said that though French government was planning to work with Algeria authorities to save the victim, it would not give in to the jihadist's blackmail.
Gourdel's execution follows the murder of two American Journalists, Stephen Sotloff and James Foley. David Haines, a British aid worker, was also executed by the Islamic State members. During Haine's beheading, the murderer told David Cameron, UK Prime Minister in a video that Haines was a sacrifice the UK government had made when it launched air strikes against their caliphate and when it armed Kurdish fighters against ISIS.
As it stands, the terror organization is threatening to behead Alan Henning, another British Aid worker, whom they are holding hostage.