ISIL video appears to show death of Jordanian pilot

CAIRO

A video and photographs apparently showing a Jordanian pilot being executed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant were published Tuesday on a website affiliated with the terrorist organization.

Jordanian pilot First Lieutenant Muath al-Kasaesbeh was taken into captivity after his fighter jet was downed near the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, ISIL’s de facto capital, on Dec. 24.

The video, which has not yet been verified, shows a man wearing an orange jumpsuit standing in a cage surrounded by masked and armed men, who then set the captured pilot on fire.

The U.S. National Security Council released a statement saying it was working to confirm its authenticity.

“The United States strongly condemns ISIL’s actions and we call for the immediate release of all those held captive by ISIL,” said the statement.

ISIL, a multinational terrorist group that has overrun vast territories in both Iraq and Syria, leaked a video on Jan. 31 in which it showed one of its militants apparently beheading Japanese journalist Kenji Goto.

Goto, 47, had been held hostage by the group since October 2014. He was one of two Japanese hostages held by the terrorist group. The other hostage was apparently murdered by ISIL a few days ago.

Jordan had tirelessly tried to secure the pilot, but ISIL initially made his release conditional on the release from a Jordanian jail of attempted suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi.

Jordan army confirms pilot's execution, vows revenge

The Jordanian army on Tuesday confirmed the execution of a pilot held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant group and vowed revenge for his death.

In a televised speech, an army spokesman said that Lt. Moaz al-Kasasba had been executed by the ISIL on Jan. 3.

He said that the army has been trying to rescue the pilot since he was captured by the militant group after his fighter plane crashed in the Syrian city of Raqqa last December.

The army spokesman went on to vow to exact revenge on the killers of al-Kasasba.

A relative of al-Kasasba told The Anadolu Agency that the Jordanian army had informed the family of the pilot's execution by the ISIL.

Earlier Tuesday, a video published online claimed to show al-Kasasba being burnt alive by the ISIL.

The video, which has not yet been verified, shows a man wearing an orange suit standing in a cage surrounded by masked and armed men, who then set on fire the captured person.

Burning people alive 'contravenes Islam': Jordan minister

Jordan's Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowment) Hayel Dawood has condemned the execution of a pilot held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), saying burning people alive contravenes Islamic teachings.

"Burning people alive is not permissible in Islam,"Dawood told The Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.

US to boost aid to Jordan as conflict roils neighbors

The U.S. is seeking to nearly double its aid to Jordan as instability continues to dominate the region.

The Obama administration will now look to increase aid to $1 billion per year for the next two years, up from $660 million per year. The additional funding requires congressional approval. 

The increased funds are designed to help the key coalition ally cope with an influx of some 800,000 refugees from Syria’s civil war and Iraq, and the rise of extremist groups in the conflicts.

Secretary of State John Kerry said that the new agreement “goes well beyond business as usual.”

“Increased need means a requirement for increased help,” Kerry said during a signing ceremony with Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has taken over considerable areas of Syria and Iraq, on Tuesday released a video purporting to show captured Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive.

National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan strongly condemned ISIL’s actions and reiterated the U.S.’s calls for the release of all ISIL prisoners.

“We stand in solidarity with the government of Jordan and the Jordanian people,” she said in a statement.

Kasasbeh was captured by the group after his plane crashed in December near ISIL’s stronghold of Raqaa.

Jordan has been a key coalition ally as the U.S. seeks to defeat the militants through a coordinated airstrike effort coupled with train and equip programs for partner forces.

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood condemn pilot execution

Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood group on Tuesday denounced the execution of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasba by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant group.

"We condemn this criminal act that violates the rights of prisoners in Islam," the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, said in a statement.

Earlier Tuesday, a video published online claimed to show Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasba being burnt alive by the ISIL.

The video, which has not yet been verified, shows a man wearing an orange suit standing in a cage surrounded by masked and armed men, who then set on fire the captured person.

"What ISIL did confirms that they are a terrorist group that must be obliterated," Dawood said.

"These terrorist acts prove that the demise of ISIL is too close," he said.

Jordanian authorities had tried to secure the pilot, but ISIL initially made his release conditional on the release from a Jordanian jail of would-be suicide bomber Sajida al-Rishawi.

Last summer, the ISIL captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, killing thousands in the process. It later declared the captured territories to be part of a self-styled "Islamic caliphate."

Since the group captured the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June of last year, a U.S.-led coalition has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL targets in both Iraq and Syria.

US condemns ISIL’s apparent execution of Jordanian pilot

Jordanian authorities have executed two Iraqi al-Qaeda prisoners, including Sajida al-Rishawi, in the early hours of Wednesday, moments after the killing of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militant group.

In a statement, the Interior Ministry said that al-Rishawi and her compatriot Ziyad al-Karbouli - both had been on the death row for years after being convicted of terror charges – were hanged early Wednesday.

The move came shortly after an online video showed Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasba burnt alive by ISIL militant.

The ISIL had repeatedly demanded the release of al-Rishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in 2006 following a spate of deadly hotel bombings in Amman, in exchange for preserving the life of the Jordanian pilot.

Al-Karbouli, a top aide to former al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was also hanged in line with a 2007 death sentence after he was found guilty of terror charges, the release said.

"The death executions were carried out against the [two] criminals in the attendance of the officials concerned and in line with the law," the statement carried by state-run Petra news agency said.

Sources said earlier that Jordanian authorities had moved several al-Qaeda prisoners to Swaqa Prison, an execution facility in southern Amman, shortly after the Jordanian government confirmed al-Kasasba's death.

Al-Kasasba was captured by ISIL militants after his fighter plane crashed in the Syrian city of Raqqa last December.

Jordanian authorities had tried to secure the pilot's release, but ISIL initially made his release conditional on the release of al-Rishawi from Jordanian jail.

Last summer, the ISIL captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, killing thousands in the process. It later declared the captured territories to be part of a self-styled "Islamic caliphate."

Since the group captured the northern Iraqi city of Mosul in June of last year, a U.S.-led coalition, which includes Jordan, has carried out numerous airstrikes against ISIL targets in both Iraq and Syria.