The assistance should help refugees and people displaced by Islamic State militants, who have ceased vast areas in Iraq and Syria, NHK reported Thursday, citing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to NHK, Abe promised $200 million in financial assistance during his tour of the Middle East last month.
Islamic State militants have recently released videos capturing the executions of two Japanese hostages: Kenji Goto and Haruna Yukawa.
Islamic State, a radical Sunni group, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), is known for its brutal tactics, such as public crucifixions and beheadings of captured prisoners, including European journalists.
Islamic State-affiliated radicals have also carried our several terrorist attacks in Europe, including the attack on the Paris office of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine, which resulted in the death of 12 people.
Islamic State has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012 and has declared an Islamic caliphate on the territories under its control in Iraq and Syria, forcing thousands of people, mostly religious minorities, to flee. A US-led international coalition has been carrying out airstrikes against the extremists since September.
