The murder of US hostage Peter Kassig and about 18 Syrian soldiers by the Islamic State (IS) armed group was a “crime against humanity”, French President François Hollande said on Sunday, reports RFI.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said it was a “barbaric act”.
IS on Sunday released a video purporting to show the beheading of Kassig, a 26-year-old Iraqi war veteran and Muslim convert who worked for an NGO in Syria, and a number of Syrian soldiers, which is currently being examined by intelligence officials.
In New Caledonia, where he has gone after the G20 summit in Australia, Hollande condemned the killings.
“These are crimes against humanity,” he said. “These are barbaric acts and that is why France cannot remain indifferent.”
In a statement Valls said he condemned "this new barbaric act”.
“This deed strengthens France’s determination to cat against Daesh [IS] in Iraq and Syria.”