Jordan hits IS in Syria two years after pilot burned alive

On February 3, 2015, the group released footage showing the pilot being burned alive in a cage, and on Saturday's strikes came on the second anniversary of the video's release.

Amman, Feb 4: Jordan said on Sunday its warplanes have bombed Islamic State group positions in southern Syria two years after one of its pilots was captured and killed by the jihadists. The kingdom, part of an international coalition battling IS in Syria and Iraq, has intensified its strikes since IS captured Maaz al-Kassasbeh when his plane crashed in Syria in December 2014.

On February 3, 2015, the group released footage showing the pilot being burned alive in a cage, and on Saturday's strikes came on the second anniversary of the video's release.

"Jordanian Air Force planes, in memory of our martyrs who have fallen in our war against terrorism, on Friday evening targeted various positions of the terrorist gang Daesh in southern Syria," the military said in a statement, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

It said that the strikes against targets including a captured former Syrian army base killed and wounded several IS members and destroyed an arms depot, a car bomb workshop and a barracks.

Jordanian forces used drones and precision-guided munitions in the operation, which was part of the "kingdom's efforts to eradicate the terrorist group", it said.

PTI