A new video appears to show that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria has executed a captured Jordanian pilot by burning him alive.
First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, a 26-year-old pilot with the Jordanian air force, was captured Dec. 24 after his fighter jet went down over northern Syria while assisting with a U.S.-led airstrikes against the Islamic State. The latest video released by his captors shows him being burned to death, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activity.
The video is approximately 22 minutes long, according to the New York Times. It shows footage of Jordan’s role in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, followed by the pilot standing inside a cage before being burned alive.
The Jordanian government was reportedly doing everything it could to secure the release of al-Kasasbeh, including trading prisoners.
King Abdullah II of Jordan is currently in the United States on a previously unannounced trip to meet with lawmakers and top American officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry.
While in the U.S., King Abdullah is expected to discuss the “latest regional and international developments as well as means of boosting bilateral ties,” with a heavy focus on the Islamic State, a royal statement said Monday.
The U.S. and Jordan signed a “memorandum of understanding on U.S. assistance” Tuesday. The memorandum reflects an intent to increase U.S. assistance to the Jordanian government from $660 million to $1 billion per year from this year to 2017, the State Department said in a press release.
King Abdullah has yet to publicly commented on the video.
Jordan state television simultaneously reported that al-Kasasbeh was killed one month ago, the day after the rescue attempt, according to the BBC.
“We are aware of the video purporting to show that Jordanian 1st Lieutenant Moaz al-Kasasbeh has been murdered by the terrorist group [the Islamic State]. The intelligence community is working to confirm its authenticity,” the National Security Council said in a statement Tuesday.
“The United States strongly condemns [the Islamic State]’s actions, and we call for the immediate release of all those held captive by [the Islamic State]. We stand in solidarity with the government of Jordan and the Jordanian people.”
The Islamic State was hit by 14 air strikes in Syria and Iraq by the U.S.-led coalition, a combined joint task force said Tuesday, according to Reuters.
