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Below is a video of Jordanian air strikes against ISIL storage and staging facilities near Al Hasakah, Syria, on February 5.
ISIL claims that a Jordanian air strike against the city of Raqqa, where ISIL alleges American Kayla Mueller was being held, killed her.
Jordan has denied that Mueller was killed in one of the country’s air strikes:
A Jordanian official denied ISIS’ claims that Mueller was killed in one of the country’s air strikes. “This is just another PR stunt,” the official told The Daily Beast. “This is just part of their whole media-spinning strategy. They’re trying to throw a wedge in the coalition” to combat ISIS. The official noted that ISIS has manipulated the public before when it comes to the status of hostages, most recently by seeming to claim that the Jordanian pilot was alive when he’d really been killed weeks ago.
Original Post:
The February 5 Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release was typical enough — there have been scores of them during the past few months.
Below the title, “Airstrikes Hit ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq,” one reads:
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria, using bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft to conduct three airstrikes, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.
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Separately, U.S. and coalition military forces conducted nine airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Iraq using bomber, attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft, officials reported.
The report then goes on to list details of the air strikes and adds, “Coalition nations which have conducted airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.”
Finally, the report says, “All aircraft returned to base safely.”
Sadly, that was not the case this past Christmas Eve. One F-16 fighter aircraft, piloted by Jordanian Royal Air Force 1st Lt. Muath Safi Yousef al-Kasasbeh did not return to base safely. His F-16 crashed near Raqqa, Syria, and the pilot was captured by ISIL terrorists after he bailed out of his crippled jet.
The tragic story ended for this brave pilot when ISIL thugs burned him to death about a month ago.
However, this horrific crime aroused and angered a King, a nation and its armed forces and it has now become the beginning of the fulfillment of a vow by Jordan’s King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein to deliver “merciless retribution” to the ISIL terrorists who murdered one of his pilots in such a barbaric way.
So, on Thursday, among those coalition aircraft were “dozens” of Jordanian fighter jets. They bombed ISIL training centers and weapons storage sites and, according to the Associated Press, also attacked targets in Iraq.
Jordanian TV footage showed some of the results of the strikes and Jordanian troops writing messages in chalk on the bombs and missiles: “”For you, the enemies of Islam,” read one message.
This time, all Jordanian aircraft returned to base safely, reportedly roaring over the hometown of the family of the murdered pilot where King Abdullah was paying his respects to the family.
The message was delivered. [King] Abdullah pointed to the sky, touched his heart and leaned in to speak privately to the father of the airman, who was shown being burned alive in a cage in video released Tuesday.
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As the roar subsided, the mourners cheered, “Long live his majesty the king!” Local youths stood and told Abdullah that they wanted to join his army and die as martyrs, too.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has giant spirit and resolve and they have been rudely and cruelly awakened.
Lead photo: Several Royal Jordanian Air Force F-16s like the one shown attacked ISIL targets on Thursday. (Photo U.S. Air Force)
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.