ISIS threatens to kill 2 Japanese hostages in 3 days unless $200mn ransom paid

The Islamic State terrorist group (IS, formerly ISIS) said in a video it will execute two Japanese nationals if a $200-million ransom isn't paid within 72 hours. The Japanese PM called the threat ‘unforgivable’ and cut short his Middle-East trip.

The threat came on Tuesday in a video published on several Islamist websites. The militant group said they are demanding the money because Japan had pledged to pay the same amount to the US-led campaign against IS.

The video features two Asian men wearing orange fatigues standing on their knees and a masked man in black holding a knife, reading the demand. The hostages are Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa, according to the video.

Goto is an independent journalist, who has been covering events in Syria, as shown by his Twitter account and website.