Japan, the USA, France and Great Britain strongly condemned the killing of the Japanese hostage by the Islamic State, and the Japanese Prime Minister and the President of the USA demanded the immediate release of another Japanese citizen, who is still being held captive by the terrorist organization.
"This act of terrorism is shameful and unacceptable, and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms," said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
American President Barack Obama expressed his condolences to the Japanese Prime Minister by phone today. He said yesterday that the USA will stand by Japan so that those responsible for the murder are brought to justice, and the Islamic State is eliminated. British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the killing of Haruna Yukawa shows the "savagery of terrorists". French President Francois Hollande also condemned the "brutal killing" and hailed Japan's determination to fight international terrorism.
The White House confirmed that Obama telephoned Abe from India, where the American president arrived today for a three-day visit, adds AP. In an earlier statement, Obama condemned the "brutal murder" of a Japanese man, although the same official statement did not say how the US knew Yukawa was dead. In a statement, Obama stated that the US will stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Japan, and the White House confirms that the US president conveyed the same message to Abe during their telephone conversation today.
Abe asked ISIL to immediately release journalist Kenji Goto. Obama also called for the immediate release of another Japanese hostage held by ISIL jihadists.
White House National Security Council spokesman Patrick Ventrell said US intelligence officials were working to determine the authenticity of the video.
The mother of the abducted journalist was skeptical about the voice on the recording, which is said to be that of her son Kenji Goto.
"Kenji's English is very good. He should sound much more fluent," she said.
Yukawa was kidnapped last summer, and Goto at the end of October when he went to Syria to try to rescue his friend Yukawa.
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