Jordan: IS Fighters Capture Pilot in Syria

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An image from Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Islamic State fighters with what is believed to be a captured pilot, center, wearing white shirt, Raqqa, Syria,

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VOA News

Last updated on: December 24, 2014 8:09 AM

Jordan said Islamic State militants have captured one of its pilots after his plane went down in northern Syria during "a mission" against Islamist insurgents.

The Jordanian army said in a statement Wednesday that it is holding the militants responsible for the pilot's life and safety.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria's war with a network of sources, reported earlier that Islamic State fighters shot the plane down near Raqqa. The city is the main stronghold for the militants who seized large areas in eastern Syria and northern and western Iraq earlier this year.

The Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, released a photograph of the Jordanian military identity card of pilot Mu’ath Safi Yousef al-Kaseasbeh in Raqqa, Syria, Dec. 24,

The Islamic State group had released pictures it said show its fighters holding the pilot. Captions along with the video images identify the pilot, as well as a photograph of his military identification card.

The card is in Arabic, and English, where the man's name is rendered as “Mu'ATH SAFI YOUSEF AL-kaseasbeh. Reuters had earlier rendered the Arabic as: “Moaz Youssef Al-Kasasba.”

Islamic State-affiliated social media accounts also published pictures purporting to show remnants of the plane.

In Jordan, the pilot's cousin confirmed the pilot's identity through the photos.

Jordan, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are all taking part in U.S.-led airstrikes targeting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Both the Syrian government and a U.S.-led coalition set up to fight Islamic State regularly bomb Islamic State targets in Raqqa province.

Since late September, the coalition has conducted about 550 airstrikes against Islamic State targets in Syria, killing more than 1,000 jihadists.

The rights group said airstrikes by government aircraft killed more than 20 people in  Raqqa province Tuesday.

Some material for this report came from Reuters, AFP and AP.   VOA