IS terrorists pounded by Coalition air strikes as video surfaces of executed Japanese

THE online video claiming one Japanese prisoner had been killed was quickly deleted and militants disagreed over whether the message was authentic.

ISLAMIC STATE fighters were pounded by Coalition jets yesterday as fears grew for the Japanese men they have taken hostage.

The air strikes blitzed jihadi targets in Mosul, northern Iraq, destroying dozens of vehicles, buildings, fighting positions and insurgent units.

The attacks came as Japan probes an online message claiming to be from IS which said one hostage had been killed and demanded a prisoner exchange for the other.

But the video was deleted quickly and militants on a website affiliated to IS disagreed about whether the
message was authentic.

Japan said government ministers were holding an emergency meeting about the new message, with PM Shinzo Abe saying it was “an outrageous and unforgivable act”, adding: “We demand the hostages’ immediate release.”

It was also reported the same video has been emailed to the wife of one of the hostages, who are said to be being held in Syria.

IS threatened on Tuesday to behead the men within 72 hours unless they received a $200million ransom.

Japan has not said whether it is considering paying for the release of journalist Kenji Goto, 47, and Haruna Yukawa, a 42-year-old adventurer fascinated by war.

The US and Britain have advised Japan against paying any ransom.

Kenji’s mum Junko Ishido yesterday made an emotional appeal for her son’s rescue. She said: “Time is running out. Please, Japanese government, save my son’s life. My son is not an enemy of the Islamic State.”

The Coalition air offensive is the beginning of an effort to disrupt IS supply lines ahead of an operation to take back Mosul from militants.

Meanwhile, the US yesterday said their efforts to train Iraqi forces and moderate Syrian rebels to fight IS
militants were moving forward – but warned it would be a long struggle.

Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said: “We’re only six, seven months into this thing.

“IS had a big head start on us, coming into the summer – a pretty aggressive first quarter for those guys.”

US officials have claimed the Coalition have stalled the momentum of the IS militants and Kirby said yesterday that about 6000 of the jihadi fighters have been killed.

The US estimate that there are still between 20,000 and about 30,000 insurgent fighters, including core IS militants and other aligned militias.

Kirby claimed IS were on the defensive and that they were struggling to get supplies and financing, as well as having difficulties replacing destroyed weapons and machinery.

He added: “While we’re seeing all that, we’re also mindful that they’re still a potent force inside Iraq and in Syria – and that this is going to continue to take some time.”