In a new video released by the extremists, the Islamic State has threatened to kill two Japanese hostages – a military company operator and a journalist – and also demanded $200 million within 3 days.
The Islamic State, that has established a Caliphate across huge swathes of Iraq and Syria, has earlier killed five Westerners, three Americans and two Britons and later released their beheading videos to flaunt their audacity. However, it is for the first time that the extremists have targeted Asian hostages and also demanded a ransom to save the lives of the two Japanese hostages.
The video has many similarities to earlier ISIS beheading videos as both the hostages are seen wearing orange jumpsuits, also the militant spouting the threats has a British accent.
Giving an ultimatum of 3 days to pay a ransom of $200 million, the ISIS fighter says that the ransom demanded was to compensate for Japan’s ‘stupid’ support for the US-led coalition bombing the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe who is on a Middle East tour, pledged $200 mn to help the countries affected by the blood-smeared offensive by the ISIS in Syria and Iraq, in turn triggering mass exodus of refugees
“You have 72 hours to pressurise your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200 million to save the lives of your citizens,” the militant is heard as saying in a British accent.
However, the Japanese government has retorted that it will not “give in” to terrorism. “Our country’s stance — contributing to the fight against terrorism without giving in — remains unchanged,” chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told a news conference in Tokyo.
The two hostages in the video have been identified by the ISIS militants as Kenji Goto Jogo (journalist) and Haruna Yukawa (military operator).
The video that was posted on many extremist accounts on social media, is said to have been made by the Islamic State group’s al-Furqan media arm.
The video shows two Japanese hostages in orange jumpsuits and a knife-weilding extremist clad in black.
