A video released late on Saturday appears to show the execution of Japanese reporter Kenji Goto by militants of the extremist group calling itself the Islamic State.
The video, titled “A Message To The Government Of Japan,” appears to show a black-clad militant with a British accent beheading Goto. “You, like your foolish allies in the Satanic coalition, have yet to understand that we, by Allah’s grace, are Islamic caliphate with authority and power, an entire army thirsty for your blood,” the militant says.
The Associated Press reports that the video was released on militant websites and resembles previous messages released by the group.
Goto was a respected freelance television journalist who had reported from conflict zones around the world. He launched his own video news company, Independent Press, in 1996 and was mostly known for his work on humanitarian disasters in war zones.
“He covers wars with a difference. Instead of focusing on who is winning or losing, he tells the stories of ordinary people, especially children, who are forced to endure conflict and the horrors surrounding them,” The Economist’s Henry Tricks wrote in a personal blog for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Goto had been held by the Islamic State group since the fall.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
