ISIL militants have beheaded captive Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, after Tokyo’s negotiations with ISIL reached a “deadlock.” The gruesome video of the execution appears to be genuine, Japan said, vowing justice for those responsible.

The horrifying video shows a hooded man standing over another man – apparently Goto – with a knife held to his throat. It then shows footage of a body with a head placed on it.

The video, released online by the armed group on Saturday, shows the journalist who was abducted while reporting on Syria's civil war last year being beheaded with a knife by a black-clad masked fighter.

Japan on Sunday said it was "highly probable" the video is authentic.
When asked if the man in the video was 47-year-old Goto, government spokesman Yoshihide Suga replied: "We think so".

The executioner speaks directly to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, saying, "Because of your reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war, this knife will not only slaughter Kenji, but will also carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin."