Isis appears to have uploaded a video purporting to show two Japanese hostages and demanding $200 million (£132m) from the Japanese government to save their lives, threatening to kill two Japanese hostages unless they receive $200 million within 72 hours.
It comes two days after Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged $200million in non-military support for countries fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
The hostages are identified in the video as journalist Kenji Goto Jogo and military company operator Haruna Yukawa.
The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was speaking from Jerusalem, demanded Isis release the two men immediately.
The militant directly addresses Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, now on a six-day visit to the Middle East with more than 100 government officials and presidents of Japanese companies.
Brandishing a knife and dressed all in black, the says: ‘To the prime minister of Japan: Although you are more than 8,000 and 500 kilometres (5,280 miles) from the Islamic State, you willingly have volunteered to take part in this crusade.
‘You have proudly donated $100 million to kill our women and children – to destroy the homes of the Muslims.
‘So the life of this (points knife at Kenji Goto Jogo) Japanese citizen will cost you $100million.
‘And in an attempt to stop the expansion of the Islamic State, you also donated another $100million to train the mujahideen against the mujahideen.
‘And so the life of this (points knife at Haruna Yukawa) Japanese citizen will cost you another $100million.
‘And to the Japanese public: Just as your government has made the foolish decision to pay $200million to fight the Islamic State, you now have 72 hours to pressure your government into making a wise decision by paying the $200million to save the lives of your citizens.
‘Otherwise, this knife will become your nightmare.’