Militants affiliated with the Islamic State group have posted an online warning that the “countdown has begun” for the group to kill a pair of Japanese hostages. The posting, which appeared Friday, shows a clock counting down to zero along with gruesome images of other hostages who have been beheaded by the Islamic State group.

The hostage takers had given Japan until Friday to pay a $200 million ransom for the release of 47-year-old Kenji Goto and 42-year-old Haruna Yukawa, but that deadline passed.

CCTV’s Terrence Terashima reported this story from Tokyo.

Japan has scrambled for a way to secure the release of Goto, a journalist, and Yukawa, an adventurer fascinated by war. Japanese diplomats had left Syria as the civil war there escalated, adding to the difficulty of contacting the militants holding the hostages. The government also concluded it has no legal basis for military action against ISIL.

“We have talked with various nations, with religious groups and with tribal leaders. We are working on all possible means to solve this,” said Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga.

Meanwhile, Japanese Muslims gathered in Tokyo’s largest mosque to pray for the 2 hostages, and Goto’s mother, Junko Ishido, gave a desperate plea for ISIL to free her son.

“I want to tell the people of Islamic State that Kenji is not an enemy of the Islamic State,” Ishido said.

The threat to kill the captives was thought to be in response to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pledge to provide $200 million in financial assistance in the form of humanitarian aid to countries affected by the Islamic State militants.

Story compiled from CCTV America and AP reports.

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Former detective Thomas Ruskin discusses hostage negotiations

Japanese officials have not directly said whether they are considering paying any ransom, however Japan has joined other major industrial nations in the Group of Seven in opposing ransom payments. U.S. and British officials said they advised against paying.

CCTV America interviewed Thomas Ruskin, a former detective with the New York City Police Department, and the president of a security and investigative firm, about the process of hostage negotiations.

Story compiled from CCTV America and AP reports.