The captured F-16 pilot
is Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a member of Jordan's military, according to his
uncle, retired Jordanian Maj. Gen. Fahd al-Kasasbeh. Al-Kasasbeh's
capture is a frightening reminder that it could have been any pilot
downed and taken, including one from the United States which is flying
F-16s in the area, too.
A source in Jordan's
armed forces said that the pilot was downed carrying out a mission
Wednesday around the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, which ISIS controls
and has made its de facto capital, according to Jordan's official PETRA
news agency.
"Jordan holds the terror
organization and those who support it responsible for the safety of the
pilot and the preservation of his life," the source in Jordan's armed
forces said.
The coalition air
campaign has recently stepped up its attacks on Raqqa, located on the
banks of the Euphrates river. In the beginning of December, for example,
the coalition hit the city with 30 air strikes in a single night.
Jordan is one of several key nations helping the United States and
other Western nations degrade and destroy ISIS which has cut a murderous
path through Iraq and Syria in its ultimate quest to establish a
caliphate, or Islamic state, across those countries.
Photos purported to be of
the downed pilot appeared on an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, images
that Fahd al-Kasasbeh said showed his nephew. In one image, four men
appear to pushing a dazed and bloody man through shallow water, perhaps
to shore.
The retired general told
CNN that he'd asked Maj. Gen. Mansour S. Al Jabour, head of the Royal
Jordanian Air Force, to investigate the case and take all necessary
actions.
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