ISIS Demands A $6.6 Million Ransom For Release Of A 26-Year-Old American Woman

ISIS has released demands that America pay a $6.6 million ransom and the release of a suspected terrorist in exchange for the release of a captured 26-year-old American woman, ABC News reports.

The American woman was captured over a year ago while participating in humanitarian relief work in Syria. The woman has remained unidentified, pursuant with the wishes of the family.

ISIS is demanding that the U.S. both pay a $6.6 million ransom and also release Aafia Siddiqui.

Siddiqui is an MIT graduate in neuroscience who was convicted in 2010 by the U.S. of trying to kill two American officials in Afghanistan.

The U.S. has a strict policy of not paying ransoms for hostages held by terrorist organizations, for fear that it may encourage further kidnappings of U.S. nationals. However, U.S. ally Qatar is reportedly carrying out efforts to help free the four Americans currently being held by ISIS.

Qatar has connections on the ground in Syria, and has won the release of multiple hostages throughout the Syrian civil war. The Gulf State is attempting this latest round of hostage negotiations just a day after it won the release of a journalist who was held in Syria since 2012.