Islamic State crisis: Jordan air strikes ‘destroy’ IS hideouts
Jordan says it has carried out 56 air strikes in three days on Islamic State logistics sites and hideouts.
“We achieved what we aimed at,” Air Force chief Gen Mansour al-Jbour said.
Jordan intensified its strikes after captured pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh was shown being burned alive by IS.
Jordan has carried out nearly 20% of all sorties by the US-led coalition against IS in Syria so far, Gen Jbour said, adding: “We are determined to wipe them from the face of the Earth.”
IS seized control of large areas of Iraq and Syria last year, prompting hundreds of raids by coalition war planes.
The focus of Jordan’s air strikes is reported to be Raqqa, the IS stronghold in Syria, but no specifics were given.
Gen Jbour said the strikes had degraded nearly 20% of the militants’ capabilities.
IS militants said that one of the strikes killed US aid worker Kayla Mueller, although the claim could not be verified.
A video of Lt Kasasbeh, 26, being burned alive in a cage, was posted online by IS earlier this week.
He was captured by the militants in December after his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria. The video is believed to have been filmed on 3 January.
Jordan had offered to swap Sajida al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, for the captured pilot. Jordan executed Rishawi and another convicted al-Qaeda operative on Wednesday.
BBC NEWS