France to continue air strikes in Iraq despite hostage abduction: minister

France would continue air strikes targeting Islamic State (IS) in Iraq despite the cell's terror threats and the kidnapping of a French national in eastern Algeria, Defense Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said Tuesday.

"We will continue air strikes in the coming days. We are in a coalition and we have been called by Iraqi authorities to help them with an air support, so we will accomplish our duty," Le Drian told state-run TV channel france2.

"It's not because of these menaces that we are going to yield. France konws how to defend itself and won't give up," the minister stressed.

On Monday, France confirmed the abduction of Herve Gourdel, a 55-year-old tourist and mountain guide in Tizi Ouzou, Algeria after IS called on followers in a video footage to kill westerners whose nations have joined a coalition to fight the militant group.

The Caliphate Soldiers, a group linked to Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for the abduction and said they will execute the hostage if France continues attacks against IS targets.

France raised the threat level at 30 of its embassies across the Middle East and Africa, urging its expatriates to show high vigilance and closely follow the ministry's security recommendations.

"There are (terror) risks and we are considering them seriously, " Le Drian said.