ISIS releases new video appearing to show Jihadi John beheading second Japanese hostage

Terror group Islamic State has released a new video which seems to show Japanese hostage Kenji Goto being beheaded by the militant fighter known as Jihadi John.

The 1 minute and 7 second clip shows Mr Goto, 47, kneeling in a rocky gorge while the masked murderer delivers a scripted message to the camera. 

The killer then lowers his knife and the footage goes black, as is common in ISIS propaganda films. When the footage begins again Mr Goto's body is shown lying on the desert floor.

The footage has appeared just a day after Japan's deputy foreign minister, Yasuhide Nakayama, told journalists that negotiations for Mr Goto's release were 'in a state of deadlock'.

Tonight the Japanese government has strongly condemned the apparent killing.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said: 'I cannot help feeling strong indignation that an inhuman and despicable act of terrorism like this has been committed again.'

Japanese authorities have said the video is most likely genuine. A statement from a cabinet meeting of senior politicians said the footage 'has a high degree of credibility.'

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe added: 'I feel strong indignation at this inhumane and contemptible act of terrorism. I will never forgive these terrorists.'

'Japan will work with the international community to bring those responsible for this crime to justice,' he said, reiterating that Japan would not give in to terrorism.

Mr Goto's mother and brother have both paid tribute to the war correspondent this evening.

Mr Goto, a war correspondent with experience of reporting from Middle East conflict zones, went missing in October last year as he went to help fellow Japanese hostage Haruna Yukawa 

Mr Goto was last heard from a week ago, when an audio clip emerged claiming to be by him, saying Mr Yukawa had been killed and asking for failed suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi to be released