IS Threatens To Behead 2 Japanese Unless Tokyo Pays $200M Ransom

The Islamic State (IS) is no longer content with just chopping the heads of their hostages. Now, they want to earn some money first while exacting revenge on US allies.

The latest video released by the extremist Islamic terror group features two Japanese captives in the standard orange jumpsuit and black-garbed jihadi John.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxaz6xPrIlo

YouTube/CNN

The masked man gave Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe just 72 hours to pay a ransom of $200 million in exchange for the liberty of the two, identified as Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa.

Despite denouncing the threat, Mr Abe said that Tokyo would work for the release of the two hostages. The $200 million demanded by the IS the same amount that the PM, who is currently in Israel on a four-day Middle East visit, promised for countries that are battling the IS to help curb the threat of the terror organization.

IS was open in saying that the $200 million ransom is retaliation because the amount pledged by Mr Abe would be used to kill Muslim women and children and destroy the homes of Islam followers.

The Wall Street Journal said that Goto resembles a Japanese journalists who has appeared on Japanese TV and also tweeted in October video clips of himself reporting from Kobani, Syria.

Yukawa, who describes himself as a private military operator, traveled to Syria and was seen in a video released in August being interrogated by armed men.

In a news conference in Israel, Mr Abe was quoted as saying, “Using human lives to threaten others is an intolerable act.”

Because of this crisis, the PM cut short his Middle Eastern trip and would send Deputy Foreign Minister Yashuhide Nakayama to Jordan to work for the release of the two Japanese nationals.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au