IS claims to have burned Jordanian pilot alive
Jordan says killers of its pilot will face revenge
Relatives of Islamic State captive Jordanian pilot Muath al Kasaesbeh hold his portrait as they take part in a rally in his support at the family's headquarters in the city of Karak. PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIRUT:
The Islamic State group released a video on Tuesday which purportedly shows the Jordanian pilot captured in December being burned alive.
The video released online showed images of a man purported to be Maaz al Kassasbeh engulfed in flames while trapped inside a metal cage.
Kassasbeh was captured on December 24 after his F-16 jet crashed during a a mission over northern Syria as part of the US-led coalition campaign against the militants.
The highly produced, 22-minute video shows footage of Kassasbeh sitting at a table discussing coalition operations against IS, with flags from the various Western and Arab countries in the alliance projected in the background.
It then shows Kassasbeh dressed in an orange jumpsuit and surrounded by armed and masked IS fighters in camouflage. It cuts to him standing inside the cage and apparently doused in petrol before he is burned alive.
The extremist group had threatened to kill Kassasbeh unless Jordan handed over a jailed Iraqi female suicide bomber.
The release of the video of the pilot's purported murder came days after IS beheaded a second Japanese hostage within a week.
IS had vowed to kill the second Japanese man, Kenji Goto, and Kassasbeh by sunset on January 29 unless Amman handed over Iraqi extremist and would-be suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi, who is on death row in Jordan.
However, Jordanian state TV claimed that the pilot was killed one month ago.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Bahrain are taking part in the coalition air strikes in Syria. Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France and the Netherlands are participating in Iraq.
Jordan says killers of its pilot will face revenge
The Jordanian army said on Tuesday it would avenge the death of a Jordanian pilot killed by Islamic State militants.
"The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan," army spokesperson Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri said in a televised statement, confirming the death of Mouath al Kasaesbeh, who was captured by the insurgents in December when his plane crashed over Syria.
The Islamic State group released a video on Tuesday which purportedly shows the Jordanian pilot captured in December being burned alive.
The video released online showed images of a man purported to be Maaz al Kassasbeh engulfed in flames while trapped inside a metal cage.
Kassasbeh was captured on December 24 after his F-16 jet crashed during a a mission over northern Syria as part of the US-led coalition campaign against the militants.
The highly produced, 22-minute video shows footage of Kassasbeh sitting at a table discussing coalition operations against IS, with flags from the various Western and Arab countries in the alliance projected in the background.
It then shows Kassasbeh dressed in an orange jumpsuit and surrounded by armed and masked IS fighters in camouflage. It cuts to him standing inside the cage and apparently doused in petrol before he is burned alive.
The extremist group had threatened to kill Kassasbeh unless Jordan handed over a jailed Iraqi female suicide bomber.
The release of the video of the pilot's purported murder came days after IS beheaded a second Japanese hostage within a week.
IS had vowed to kill the second Japanese man, Kenji Goto, and Kassasbeh by sunset on January 29 unless Amman handed over Iraqi extremist and would-be suicide bomber Sajida al Rishawi, who is on death row in Jordan.
However, Jordanian state TV claimed that the pilot was killed one month ago.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Bahrain are taking part in the coalition air strikes in Syria. Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France and the Netherlands are participating in Iraq.
Jordan says killers of its pilot will face revenge
The Jordanian army said on Tuesday it would avenge the death of a Jordanian pilot killed by Islamic State militants.
"The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan," army spokesperson Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri said in a televised statement, confirming the death of Mouath al Kasaesbeh, who was captured by the insurgents in December when his plane crashed over Syria.