Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was speechless upon seeing a video that showed a decapitated body of a Japanese national on Saturday.
ISIS demanded for a $200 million ransom on Friday for the two Japanese nationals they were holding as prisoners. Journalist Kenji Goto, 47, and adventurer Haruna Yukawa, 42, were captured and held by Islamic militants.
Yukawa was taken in Syria one year ago and has been held as prisoner by the Islamic State since then.
On Saturday, a video of Goto holding a photograph of a decapitated man was released by the kidnappers. The Japanese government is still verifying the authenticity of the photo, but it is very likely that the photo was real. The CIA has also confirmed its awareness of the video, and is also reviewing the same.
"I am left speechless. We strongly and totally criticize such acts," Abe told the press.
The kidnappers are demanding a prisoner exchange to free remaining prisoner, Kenji Goto.
United States President Barack Obama has condemned the killing, and called it a "brutal murder." He also called the Japanese Prime Minister to give his condolences. Obama also told PM Abe that he appreciates the country's humanitarian assistance in the Middle East.
"The United States strongly condemns [Islamic State's] actions, and we call for the immediate release of all the remaining hostages," agency spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.
There are unconfirmed reports about the authenticity of the message on the video, while the video itself, according to the Japanese government, has a great chance of being real.
An ISIS-affiliated website has announced that the new message on last Saturday's video was not real, while another website has claimed that the video was intended for Kenji Goto's family's viewing only. Another IS affiliated website has also noted that there was no al-Furqan logo in the video released last Saturday, which would signal that it was issued by the latter, according to sources.
The audio was intended for Goto's spouse, which was asking for the release of Iraqi Sajida Mubarak al-Rishawi, who is held prisoner in Jordan.
