Aug 01 (NHK) - A video showing a man believed to be a Japanese journalist detained by an armed group in Syria has emerged online.
Jumpei Yasuda went missing after entering Syria in June 2015 to cover the civil war as a freelance journalist.
The 20-second video was posted on Monday. It shows a man in orange clothes, with two armed militants wearing masks standing behind him.
The man says in Japanese: "My name is Umaru, I'm South Korean. Today is July 25th, 2018. I'm in a terrible situation. Please help me quickly."
Sources say it's is not the first time the man uses the name Umaru. But it's unclear why he describes himself as a South Korean national.
Another video showing the same man was posted online earlier in July. At the time, he referred to himself as Jumpei, adding that the video was being shot in October 2017.
Analysts believe the group holding Jumpei Yasuda may be posting the videos to negotiate his release.
Source: ANNnewsCH
