French climber and mountain guide Herve Gourdel was kidnapped and executed by Algerian militant group Jund al-Khilafa after the group’s demand for France to end airs strikes on the Islamic State by a specific deadline was ignored.

Gourdel, 55, was visiting Algeria for a hiking trip and planned to research a new climbing route, the BBC reported. He was kidnapped in the Djura Djura mountains in northern Algeria on Sunday, and the group gave the French government 24 hours to halt air strikes.

French President Francois Hollande called the beheading “cruel and cowardly,” and stated that air strikes would continue. “Herve Gourdel is dead because he is the representative of a people—ours—that defends human dignity against barbarity,” Hollande said during an informal speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York. “My determination is total and this attack only reinforces it. We will continue to fight terrorism everywhere.”

Jund al-Khilafa posted a video of Gourdel being executed, with the title “Message of blood for the French government.”

Gourdel was married and had two adult children. To learn more, visit the Facebook page that was created in Gourdel’s honor.

Image courtesy of RIP Herve Gourdel/Facebook