ISIS-aligned Filipino militants release hostage video

(CNN)

A video that purports to show four hostages, who appear to be those kidnapped by armed militants in the southern Philippines last month, has been posted online.

The video shows three of the hostages — all of whom appear to be foreign nationals — plead for help from the Canadian and Philippine governments. The fourth person, a Filipino woman, does not speak.

The hostages are surrounded by masked, heavily armed militants and banners that appear to be ISIS flags, or jihadist flags which are very similar in appearance to the infamous black-and-white standard. The kidnappers do not identify their affiliation in the video, but the Abu Sayyaf Islamist group is a known militant presence in the area.

The want the government to surrender and leave Mindanoa to them.

The camera then pans up to a militant whose face is covered with a green and black scarf, and who wears sunglasses. He demands, in English, that the two governments cease military actions as a prerequisite to opening negotiations for the hostages’ release.

The militants then start chanting in Arabic and raising their guns.