French-Japanese Couple Missing Since Leaving for ’ISIL’-Controlled Area

Local Editor

A French-Japanese couple who planned to visit areas controlled by the "ISIL" extremist group went missing after leaving Tokyo last month, reports and a source said Monday.

The Algerian-French husband and his Japanese wife, both in their 20s, had told Japanese officials they wanted to travel to the region to engage in "humanitarian assistance" but denied they would take part in any fighting.

Officials from both the Japanese and French governments - who initially obtained details about the plan from Japanese security authorities - tried in vain to persuade the couple not to travel to the region, said a source familiar with the situation.

Japanese media reported similar details Monday.

In early November the couple left Japan and entered Turkey before going to a town near the border with Syria. Their movements since then are unknown.

Tokyo is trying to trace their whereabouts, including the possibility that the couple crossed into areas controlled by "ISIL" which holds swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team