IS warns that hostages have ‘24 hours to live’

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

The message, posted online, again demanded 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 mentioned for the first time Jordanian pilot Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh, who is a captive of Islamic State.

The video matched a message released over the weekend, though neither bore the logo of Islamic State’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.

Yesterday’s 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 that 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.

A Japanese envoy in Jordan, deputy foreign minister Yasuhide Nakayama, earlier expressed hope the hostages would return home.

“I hope we can all firmly work hard and join hands to co-operate, and for the two countries (Japan and Jordan) to co-operate, in order for us to see the day when the [two men] can both safely return to their own countries with a smile on their faces.”