IS threatens Japanese, Jordanian hostages

An online message purportedly from the Islamic State group warns that a Japanese hostage and Jordanian pilot the extremists hold have less than “24 hours left to live.”

The message again demands the release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for involvement in a 2005 terror attack that killed 60 people. It also mentions for the first time Jordanian pilot 1st Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh, who is a captive of the Islamic State group, setting a Wednesday afternoon deadline.

Tuesday’s video matched a message released over the weekend, though neither bore the logo of the Islamic State group’s al-Furqan media arm. The weekend video showed a still photo of Kenji Goto holding what appears to be a photo of the body of Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa.

The Associated Press could not independently verify either video. However, several websites affiliated with the Islamic State group referenced the video and posted links to it late Tuesday afternoon.

The message says that unless the Jordanian government frees al-Rishawi within 24 hours, Goto and the pilot will be killed, adding that this would be the group’s last message. The message warns any delaying tactics by the government will result in the death of both men.

Goto has only “24 hours left to live and the pilot has even less,” the message said.

— AP

People look at a large TV screen in Tokyo on January 27, 2015 showing news reports about Japanese men Kenji Goto who has been kidnapped by the Islamic State group. (photo credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP)