Islamic State beheads second Japanese hostage
Online clip appears to show execution of Kenji Goto after diplomats fail to secure his release
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
CAIRO — An online video released Saturday night purported to show an Islamic State group member behead Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, ending days of negotiations by diplomats to save the man.
The video, released on jihadist websites and highlighted by Islamic State sympathizers on social media sites, bore the symbol of the Islamic State group’s al-Furqan media arm.
Though the video could not be immediately independently verified by The Associated Press, it conformed to other beheading videos released by the extremists, who now control a third of both Syria and neighboring Iraq in its self-declared caliphate.
The video, called “A Message to the Government of Japan,” featured a man who looked and sounded like an IS operative with a British accent who has taken part in other beheading videos by the Islamic State group, nicknamed “Jihadi John” by the media. Goto, kneeling in an orange prison jumpsuit, said nothing in the roughly one-minute-long video.
“Abe,” the militant says in the video, referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, “because of your reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war, this man will not only slaughter Kenji, but will also carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin.”
Goto was captured in October, after he traveled to Syria to try to win the release of Haruna Yukawa.
The hostage drama began last week after militants threatened to kill Goto and Yukawa in 72 hours unless Japan paid $200 million.
Jordan and Japan reportedly conducted indirect negotiations with the militants through Iraqi tribal leaders.
Yukawa is believed to have been killed last week. A photo released by IS on Sunday showed a decapitated body which is widely believed to be his.
Times of Israel Staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.