Off the wire
• Berlinale 2015 to focus on women, indigenous cinema  • Chinese Ningbo city explores opportunities in Bulgaria  • Hungary's central bank keeps interest rate on hold despite global volatility  • 1st Ld Writethru: Two militants, Indian military officer and policeman killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir gunfight  • Turkey's Erdogan seeks to switch to presidential system  • Georgia seizes 6.29 kg of cocaine  • Xinhua world news summary at 1530 GMT, Jan. 27  • Georgia, Lithuania to beef up economic, trade cooperation  • Moscow cautiously optimistic about Kiev envoy's meeting with insurgent leaders  • U.S. stocks plummet at opening  
You are here: 　 Home

IS threatens to kill Japanese hostage, Jordanian pilot in 24 hours

Xinhua, January 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Islamic State (IS) militant group threatened to kill a Japanese hostage and Jordanian pilot within 24 hours if female suicide bomber is not released.

In a video posted online Tuesday afternoon, Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto appeared with a message to the Japanese government.

Goto asked the Japanese government to place pressure on Jordan to hand over Sajida Rishawi, a suicide bomber who in 2005 failed to detonate an explosive belt she was wearing and was later arrested and sentenced to death.

Rishawi is an Iraqi woman who has close ties with Abu Musab Zarqawi, former leader of al-Qaida cell in Iraq.

According to the unverified video, Japanese hostage also said IS will only release himself if Sajida is released by Jordan.

If Sajida is not released in 24 hours, IS will kill Goto and the Jordanian pilot Muath Kasasbeh who was captured by IS after his plane crashes last month in Syria. Endit