Japan’s PM ‘speechless’ at video claiming hostage is dead

Associated Press

TOKYO

Japan’s prime minister said today he was “speechless” after an online video purported to show one of two Japanese hostages of the extremist Islamic State group had been killed and promised to save the other.

Shinzo Abe said on NHK TV that the video likely was authentic and offered condolences to the family and friends of Haruna Yukawa, a 42-year-old adventurer taken hostage last year.

He declined to comment on the message on the latest video demanding a prisoner exchange for journalist Kenji Goto. Abe said in an earlier statement that Japan will not give in to terrorism.

President Barack Obama condemned what he called “the brutal murder” of Yukawa, saying he stood by Japan to get Goto released.

The Associated Press could not verify the contents of the message, which varied greatly from previous videos released by the Islamic State group, which now holds a third of both Syria and Iraq.

The Islamic State group had threatened Tuesday to behead the men within 72 hours unless it received a $200 million ransom. Kyodo News agency reported that Saturday’s video was emailed to Goto’s wife.

Patrick Ventrell, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said U.S. intelligence officials also were working to confirm whether it was authentic.