Herve Gourdel

Four gunmen were killed after the Algerian army raided the suspected hideout of the kidnappers of Herve Gourdel, the French tourist beheaded by jihadists last month, the defence ministry said on Friday.

Islamist gunmen have killed two soldiers in western Algeria less than a week after jihadist-linked militants beheaded a French hostage they abducted in east of the capital, press reports said on Monday.

The fate of a French hostage abducted in Algeria by jihadists threatening to kill him unless France stopped bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq remained uncertain on Wednesday after Paris refused to bow to any form of blackmail.

An Algerian group linked to Islamic State jihadists on Monday claimed the kidnapping of a French national and threatened to kill the hostage within 24 hours unless Paris halts air strikes on the IS in Iraq.

Four gunmen were killed after the Algerian army raided the suspected hideout of the kidnappers of Herve Gourdel, the French tourist beheaded by jihadists last month, the defence ministry said on Friday.

Islamist gunmen have killed two soldiers in western Algeria less than a week after jihadist-linked militants beheaded a French hostage they abducted in east of the capital, press reports said on Monday.

The fate of a French hostage abducted in Algeria by jihadists threatening to kill him unless France stopped bombing Islamic State targets in Iraq remained uncertain on Wednesday after Paris refused to bow to any form of blackmail.

An Algerian group linked to Islamic State jihadists on Monday claimed the kidnapping of a French national and threatened to kill the hostage within 24 hours unless Paris halts air strikes on the IS in Iraq.