The Islamic State group will release a statement \u201csoon\u201d on the two Japanese hostages it has captured and is threatening to execute unless a ransom is paid, a spokesman for the armed group told NHK Thursday night.<\/p>\n
In an online report uploaded shortly before 6 a.m. Friday, NHK said it got in contact with the Islamic State official via Internet voice and text messages.<\/p>\n
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The threat comes in a newly released propaganda video, identified as being made by the Islamic State group’s al-Furqan media branch.<\/p>\n
The footage\u00a0shows two Japanese hostages identified by militants as Kenji Goto Jogo and Haruna Yukawa.<\/p>\n
The video features one militant, presumed to be British citizen “Jihadi John,” threating to the two hostages unless a $200 million ransom is received within the next 72 hours.<\/p>\n
The militant also directly addressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, scorning Japan’s recent contribution of $200 million to the efforts to eradicate the Islamic State.<\/p>\n
Japanese officials had no comment on the video, according to the AP.<\/p>\n
Haruna Yukawa is a private military company operator. \u00a0A Japanese citizen, believed to be Yukawa,\u00a0was kidnapped in Syria in August. According to a blog post of his own, Yukawa travelled to Syria to train with militants.<\/p>\n
Kenji Goto Jogo, currently being held hostage, is a respected freelance journalist. He traveled to Syria last year to document the civil war.<\/p>\n
This is the first time the Islamic State group has threatened the Japanese. It has beheaded other Western hostages it has held.<\/p>\n
ISIS\u00a0currently holds a third of both Iraq and Syria. A U.S.-led coalition is now targeting the extremists in airstrikes.<\/p>\n
\u0645\u0642\u0627\u062a\u0644\u0648 #\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0648\u0644\u0629_\u0627\u0644\u0625\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0629<\/a> \u064a\u0645\u0646\u062d\u0648\u0646 #\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0627\u0628\u0627\u0646<\/a> \u0667\u0662 \u0633\u0627\u0639\u0629 \u0644\u0625\u0646\u0642\u0627\u0630 \u0645\u0648\u0627\u0637\u0646\u064a\u0646 \u0645\u0642\u0627\u0628\u0644 \u0662\u0660\u0660 \u0645\u0644\u064a\u0648\u0646 \u062f\u0648\u0644\u0627\u0631 \u0642\u064a\u0645\u0629 \u0645\u0634\u0627\u0631\u0643\u0629 #\u0637\u0648\u0643\u064a\u0648<\/a> \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u062a\u062d\u0627\u0644\u0641 pic.twitter.com\/sRKbuvqMz1<\/a><\/p>\n\u2014 Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) January 20, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n