ISIL sends message for prisoner swap at Turkish border

An audio message purportedly from a Japanese journalist being held by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants said a Jordanian air force pilot also captured by the group would be killed unless an Iraqi female prisoner in Jordan was released on the Turkish border by sunset on Jan. 29.

The message appeared to postpone a previous deadline set on Jan. 27 in which the journalist, Kenji Goto, said he would be killed within 24 hours if the Iraqi was not freed.   

The latest audio recording, which could not be verified by Reuters, was posted on YouTube early on Jan. 29. Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a news conference that chances were high it was Goto's voice in the recording.

"I am Kenji Goto. This is a voice message I've been told to send to you. If Sajida al-Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by Thursday sunset 29th of January, Mosul time, the Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasaesbeh will be killed immediately," the voice in the recording says.

It was not immediately clear at which spot along Turkey's border with Syria and Iraq the prisoner exchange could take place. It was not immediately clear at which spot along Turkey's border with Syria and Iraq the prisoner exchange could take place. Japanese journalists flooded the Akçakale border gate in Turkey's ?anl?urfa province across the Syrian town of Tel Abyad after the report.

Jordan said on Jan. 28 it had received no assurance that al-Kasaesbeh was safe and it would go ahead with a proposed prisoner swap only if he was freed.

The audio tape message implied the Jordanian pilot would not be part of the exchange deal, indicating any swap would be between Goto - a veteran war reporter - and al-Rishawi.
...