ISIS has threatened to kill two Japanese hostages unless Tokyo hands over $200 million within 72 hours.
The militant, who spoke in English, demanded “200 million” without specifying a currency, but an Arabic subtitle identified it as U.S. Dollars.
In a video posted online on Tuesday, a masked man clad in black and holding a knife stands over two kneeling men in orange jumpsuits against the backdrop of a barren landscape.
The masked man links the threat against the two men’s lives to Japan’s support for the U.S.-led coalition that is fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
The masked man in the video identifies the two kneeling men as Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa.
Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, who condemned the threat, described it as unacceptable and vowed to save the hostages.
He added that their lives were his “top priority” and that Japan would not give in to terrorism.
Mr Abe is currently in Jerusalem as part of a six-day tour of the Middle East and is expected to cancel the remainder of his trip and return to Japan to deal with the hostage crisis.
In a press conference in Jerusalem, Mr Abe said he was “indignant” and felt “strong resentment” at the threats, and demanded the immediate release of the hostages.
He threatened that the world would suffer “immeasurable” damage if terrorism spread in the region.
Japan relies on the Middle East for much of its crude oil imports.
