A Jordanian warplane pilot has been captured by Islamic State fighters. Military officials in Jordan have confirmed Flight Lieutenant Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh’s aircraft crashed in a northern part of Syria.
A Jordanian pilot has reportedly been captured by Islamic State fighters. Military officials in Jordan have confirmed that the aircraft crashed in the northern part of Syria.
Photos posted online purportedly show the captured pilot.
A source from the military stated “During a mission Wednesday morning conducted by several Royal Jordanian Air Force planes against hideouts of the IS terrorist organisation in the Raqqa region, one of the planes went down and the pilot was taken hostage.”
However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Islamic State militants said the plane didn’t crash on its own. Instead it was shot down with an anti-aircraft missile.
The U.S. has and continues to lead airstrikes against the Islamic State or ISIS. Jordan is part of the coalition, along with the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, France, Australia, the UK and others.
This is the first coalition plane to be shot down by ISIS. A statement released by the Jordanian military notes that ISIS and its supporters are responsible for the pilot’s safety.
