ALGERIA: Footage shows a location near the Tikjda mountains in eastern Algeria where it's believed a French national was kidnapped on Sunday

Record ID: 574388

  • Title: ALGERIA: Footage shows a location near the Tikjda mountains in eastern Algeria where it's believed a French national was kidnapped on Sunday
  • Date: 23rd September 2014
  • Summary: NEAR TIKJDA MOUNTAINS, ALGERIA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2014) (REUTERS) ROAD WITH SIGN READING (English): "BOUIRA" AND "TIKJDA" ROAD SIGN READING (English): "BOUIRA" AND "TIKJDA" ROAD SIGNS POINTING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS READING (English): "22 BOUIRA" AND "TIKJDA 08" ROAD SIGN READING (English): "TIKJDA 08" SIGN ABOVE ROAD READING (English): "DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF TIKJDA", CAR DRIVING ALONG ROAD UNDER SIGN SIGN READING (English): "DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF TIKJDA", MOUNTAIN RANGE IN BACKGROUND SIGN READING (French): "DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF TIKJDA" VARIOUS OF MOUNTAIN RANGE
  • Embargoed: 8th October 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Algeria
  • Country: Algeria
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2CKB54C9VIB41YUSDF6XNNVV
  • Story Text: A French national was kidnapped near the Tikjda mountains in eastern Algeria on Sunday (September 21), France's foreign ministry said, and his kidnappers issued a video threatening to kill him if Paris did not halt its intervention in Iraq.
    The Caliphate Soldiers, a group linked to Islamic State militants, published a video on the Internet soon after the French ministry's announcement on Monday (September 22), claiming responsibility for the kidnapping and showing a man who identified himself as Herve Gourdel, 55, from Nice in southern France.
    The group said it would kill Gourdel if Paris did not halt its intervention in Iraq.
    The French foreign ministry later confirmed the video was authentic.
    French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the taking of a French hostage would not deter French participation in a U.S.-led coalition of nations against Islamist State militants.
    The kidnapping came just hours after Islamic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani urged the group's followers to attack citizens of the United States, France and other countries which have joined a coalition to destroy the radical group.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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