A US-led coalition warplane was downed in Syria’s Raqqa province in an area controlled by the Islamic State (IS) group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and IS militants said Wednesday. The militants said a Jordanian pilot was captured...
Islamic State group militants said they had shot down a warplane in the northeastern province, a claim later confirmed by the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.
Social media accounts operated by the Islamic State group published pictures allegedly of the pilot being taken captive by the militants and claimed that he is a Jordanian national.
The UK-based Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian war using a network of sources, said it had confirmed the pilot’s capture and said he was believed to be from an Arab country.
Events inside Syria are difficult to verify independently because of restricted media access.
Both the Syrian government and the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group regularly strike militant targets in Raqqa.
Despite the airstrikes, Raqqa province – which borders Turkey – is almost entirely under the control of Islamic State group fighters.
Boosted by arms seized in Iraq, the group evicted most rival rebel groups from the province earlier this year and took control of a string of military bases over the summer, including a Syrian air base seized after a bloody battle that left hundreds dead.
There was no immediate comment on the reports of the plane’s downing from the Syrian government or from officials of the countries participating in the US-led coalition.
US officials said they were looking into the media reports but declined further comment.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have participated in or supported the strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria, according to US Central Command.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
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24/12/14
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Social media accounts operated by the Islamic State group published pictures allegedly of the pilot being taken captive by the militants and claimed that he is a Jordanian national.
The UK-based Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the Syrian war using a network of sources, said it had confirmed the pilot’s capture and said he was believed to be from an Arab country.
Events inside Syria are difficult to verify independently because of restricted media access.
Both the Syrian government and the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group regularly strike militant targets in Raqqa.
Despite the airstrikes, Raqqa province – which borders Turkey – is almost entirely under the control of Islamic State group fighters.
Boosted by arms seized in Iraq, the group evicted most rival rebel groups from the province earlier this year and took control of a string of military bases over the summer, including a Syrian air base seized after a bloody battle that left hundreds dead.
There was no immediate comment on the reports of the plane’s downing from the Syrian government or from officials of the countries participating in the US-led coalition.
US officials said they were looking into the media reports but declined further comment.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have participated in or supported the strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria, according to US Central Command.
(FRANCE 24 with REUTERS)
france24.com
24/12/14
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A warplane was downed in Syria's eastern Raqqa province in territory controlled by Islamic State militants and the pilot was taken captive, a monitoring group and Islamic State supporters on social media said on Wednesday....
ReplyDeleteEvents in Syria are difficult to confirm because of restricted media access to conflict zones.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the plane was brought down near Raqqa city, a major stronghold for Islamic State fighters...............http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/middle-east/Islamic-State-shoots-down-warplane-over-Syria/articleshow/45628217.cms
24/12/14
The Jordanian army said on Wednesday one of its pilots was captured by Islamic State militants after his plane was downed during coalition air raids in Syria...
ReplyDelete"Jordan holds the group and its supporters responsible for the safety of the pilot and his life," an army statement read on state television said.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Jordan-confirms-one-of-its-pilots-captured-in-Syria-during-air-raid-385605
24/12/14
UN urges humane treatment of Jordanian pilot captured by ISIS ...
ReplyDeleteUN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the Islamic State captors of a Jordanian pilot whose warplane was shot down in northeast Syria to treat him humanely, his spokesman said.
"He (Ban) calls on his captors to treat the pilot in accordance with international humanitarian law," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The pilot is the first captive taken from the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the jihadi group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.
He told reporters that Ban was also "deeply concerned with the continued use of violence across the country, including the use of 'barrel bombs' in populated areas." Dujarric noted that the indiscriminate use of such weapons was a violation of international law.
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/UN-urges-humane-treatment-of-Jordanian-pilot-captured-by-ISIS-385643
24/12/14
US says ISIS not responsible for downing of Jordanian fighter jet ...
ReplyDeleteU.S. officials confirmed reports Wednesday that a Jordanian fighter jet was shot down in the fight against Islamic State militants in northern Syria and that the pilot had been captured.
But officials denied claims made by the terrorist organization that it was responsible for the downing.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said a Jordanian F-16 was shot down in the vicinity of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, or ISIL.
It was not immediately known how the warplane was shot down. CENTCOM said evidence "clearly indicates" that ISIS did not down the plane................http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/12/25/isis-reportedly-shoots-down-jordanian-plane-over-syria-pilot-captured/
24/12/14
The Jordanian army called on the media to refrain from disseminating sensitive information about the pilot captured by the radical Islamic State (IS) group on Wednesday....
ReplyDelete"The armed forces urge various media not to publish any information affecting national security,… to treat the Jordanian military plane crash responsibly and take into account the feelings of the pilot's relatives," CNN Arabic reported on Thursday, quoting a Jordanian Armed Forces spokesperson.
According to Col. Mamdouh al-Amiri, the armed forces "will provide the media with all new information about the incident, taking into account the requirements of national security."..................http://sputniknews.com/middleeast/20141225/1016230190.html
25/12/14
Jordan vows 'all efforts' to save pilot seized by Islamic State...
ReplyDeleteAMMAN: Jordan vowed on Thursday (Dec 25) to make every effort to save a pilot captured by the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria as Washington denied claims the militants had shot down his warplane. Maaz al-Kassasbeh, a 26-year-old first lieutenant in the Jordanian air force, was captured by IS on Wednesday after his F-16 jet crashed while on a mission against the militants over northern Syria.
It was the first warplane lost and the first capture of a serviceman since the coalition launched strikes against IS in Syria in September. It was also a major propaganda victory for the Sunni extremist group, which released several photographs parading the captured pilot.
"The Jordanian government ... is making all efforts with several crisis cells to free (the pilot)," government daily Al-Rai said in an editorial on Thursday. "We are confident that our brave one will be released ... He has not been forgotten."..................http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/jordan-vows-all-efforts/1549624.html
25-26/12/14
Jordan has reportedly asked help from Turkey in an attempt to rescue a Jordanian pilot captured last week by Islamist militants during a mission in Syria....
ReplyDeleteThe Jordanian government has appealed to Turkey’s Amman Embassy to save Maaz Safi Yousef al-Kassasbeh, a 26-year-old pilot who was captured by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Turkish authorities told daily Hürriyet, confirming media reports.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry, National Intelligence Agency (MİT) and other related institutions have begun to review the details of the incident and will tell Jordan if the country can do anything, sources also said.
Some 49 Turkish Embassy staff in Mosul, who were taken hostage by ISIL for 101 days, were released on Sept. 20 as a result of intense efforts by Turkish government agenci
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/jordan-appeals-for-turkish-help-to-rescue-captured-pilot.aspx?pageID=238&nID=76208&NewsCatID=510
Jordan said to be in indirect talks with IS to free pilot ...
ReplyDeleteJordan has reportedly appealed to Turkey several times for help in securing the release of 1st Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh. Turkey negotiated a release with the group last year for 46 Turkish nationals held captive by the group, the details of which have largely been held under wraps.
The terror group may be interested in the deal that would potentially free a number of Salafists (adherents of a strict, literal form of Islam to which IS subscribes) held in Jordanian prisons
Earlier this month, Turkish media reported that an attempted rescue of the Jordanian pilot was thwarted after terrorists from the Islamic State unleashed heavy fire on commando helicopters that were trying to land near a home believed to be housing the prisoner.
According to unconfirmed reports in the media, American special forces led the rescue effort, along with fighters from allied countries in the fight against IS. The Telegraph cited local activists saying that military helicopters attempted a nighttime raid on Raqqa.
Read more: Jordan said to be in indirect talks with IS to free pilot | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-said-to-be-in-indirect-talks-with-is-to-free-pilot/#ixzz3P4m1cn62
17/1/15