Islamic State ‘behead’ second Japanese hostage

The Islamic State have released a video purporting to show the beheading of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, less than a week after their apparent beheading of his compatriot Haruna Yukawa.

Goto, 47, a renowned war correspondent, had reportedly travelled to Syria in October to secure Yukawa’s release.

The newly-released video bears all the hallmarks of previous IS slaughter videos, with Goto kneeling in a rocky gorge in front of a masked militant.

“To the Japanese government: You, like your foolish allies in the Satanic coalition, have yet to understand that we, by Allah’s grace, are an Islamic Caliphate with authority and power, an entire army thirsty for your blood,” the militant says in the video. “[Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo] Abe, because of your reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war, this knife will not only slaughter Kenji, but will also carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found”.

The killer then lowers his knife and the footage goes black, before cutting to a clip of what appears to be Goto’s lifeless body.

Abe described the apparent murder as a “heinous act” and warned that Japan “would not give in to terrorism”. He added that Japan would work with the international community to bring those responsible for Goto's apparent murder to justice.

World leaders also condemned this latest killing. 
“The United States condemns the heinous murder of Japanese citizen and journalist Kenji Goto by the terrorist group ISIL (IS),” United States President Barack Obama said. “Through his reporting, Mr Goto courageously sought to convey the plight of the Syrian people to the outside world".

"I utterly condemn what appears to be the despicable and appalling murder of Kenji Goto,” British Prime Minister David Cameron said. “It is a further reminder that ISIL is the embodiment of evil, with no regard for human life".

The militants had initially demanded a $200m ransom Goto and Yukawa, the same as Abe had pledged in non-military aid for countries fighting Islamic State.

An IS video released on Tuesday had said that Goto had "only 24 hours left to live" and Kasasbeh "even less". However, they later gave a deadline of sunset on Thursday for a swap deal by which Goto would be freed in return for Jordan releasing captured Iraqi militant Sajida al-Rishawi.

The deal reportedly became complicated following Jordan's demand that Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a Jordanian pilot who was shot down in Syria in December, also be released.

The latest video provided no mention of Kasasbeh's fate.