Islamic State’s claim that it is holding for ransom a Chinese national as well as a Norwegian has underscored the gradual emergence of Beijing’s long-running struggle with domestic terrorism as an international problem.
The Sunni Muslim extremist group posted pictures of the two hostages Wednesday in its online English-language propaganda magazine, Dabiq. In the photos, the two men stare directly at the camera wearing yellow jumpsuits; below them, a large-font message reads “for sale.”
Islamic State identified the two men as Fan Jinghui, 50, a “freelance consultant” from Beijing, and Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, from Oslo.
The site gave Fan’s “home address” — an apartment in far-west Beijing — and a contact number for payment details.