Islamic State puts Chinese and Norwegian hostages 'up for sale'
Beijing yet to confirm man's identity, but terror group names him as consultant Fan Jinghui
The Islamic State extremist group claims to be holding a Chinese consultant and a Norwegian man hostage and has demanded ransoms for their release.
Beijing said yesterday it was still verifying the information after reporters flocked to a residential community to look for the hostage’s family at the home address released by the group.
The terror group’s online magazine, Dabiq, released posters on Wednesday featuring two men wearing prison outfits. It said the Chinese man was Fan Jinghui, 50, a freelance consultant from Beijing, and the other was Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, a Norwegian in his 40s. It describes the pair as ‘prisoners for sale’.
However, China’s foreign ministry did not confirm the name or nationality of the man said to be Fan during a press briefing yesterday afternoon.
“We have noticed [the poster] and are verifying the information,” spokesman Hong Lei said. “China is opposed to any violent attack targeting civilians.”
Fan’s home address on the poster matches the registered address of an advertising firm founded by a man whose name is spelled the same as the purported Chinese hostage. No one answered the door when reporters visited the address yesterday.