ISIL sets sunset deadline for prisoner swap

The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) set a deadline for Jordan to release an Al-Qaeda-linked prisoner, saying the armed group would kill a Jordanian pilot it holds captive immediately if the woman is not freed by sunset on Thursday.

In a new audio recording, a voice identifying itself as Japanese freelancer Kenji Goto said his captors would kill pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh if Iraqi death row inmate Sajida al-Rishawi is not handed over by the end of the day.

The message appeared to postpone a previous deadline set on Tuesday in which Goto said he would be killed within 24 hours if the Iraqi would-be suicide bomber in Jordanian custody was not freed.

"If Sajida al-Rishawi is not ready for exchange for my life at the Turkish border by Thursday sunset, 29th of January, Mosul time, the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh will be killed immediately," Goto said, in an unverified audio message distributed by ISIL-linked Twitter accounts.

It was not clear from the message if either Goto or Kassasbeh would be freed.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament, "We are aware of the new message ... [and] are verifying [its authenticity]."

The apparent communication breaks an anxious silence from the group since their previous 24-hour deadline for Rishawi expired on Wednesday.

Amman had offered to free the Iraqi woman, who was convicted for her part in the 2005 triple-hotel bombings in the Jordanian capital that killed 60 people, if ISIL released the airman.

"Jordan is ready to release the prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi if the Jordanian pilot is freed unharmed," state television quoted a government spokesman as saying on Wednesday.

"From the start, the position of Jordan was to ensure the safety of our son, the pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh," it added. The government spokesman made no mention of Japanese hostage Goto.

Al Jazeera and wire services