PM Modi condemns killing of Japanese hostages by ISIS, terms it 'gruesome & unfortunate'

New Delhi, Feb 2: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday strongly condemned the "gruesome" killing of two Japanese nationals by ISIS, a day after the terror group claimed the hostages had been beheaded.

Modi, in a tweet, termed the killing of Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa as "gruesome & unfortunate".

The Islamic State group claimed yesterday in a video that it has beheaded a second Japanese hostage, drawing international condemnation and outrage from a visibly upset Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who denounced it as a "heinous and despicable" act.

The IS group, also known by the acronym ISIL, on Saturday claimed the 47-year-old journalist's death in the second purported beheading of a Japanese hostage in a week.

In the video, Goto is seen kneeling next to a standing masked man who speaks with a British accent and blames the Japanese government for his "slaughter."

"Those responsible for the killing of Kenji Goto shall be held accountable," the Security Council stressed, with member states emphasizing that such acts would "not intimidate them but rather stiffen their resolve."

The execution came as Jordan scrambled to save captured pilot Maaz al-Kassasbeh, whom IS said it would free in exchange for an Iraqi jihadist on death row in Jordan. Amman said it would hand the woman over if given proof that Kassasbeh is still alive.

PTI