Jordan has confirmed the death of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh after a video published online by the Islamic State (IS) showed him being burned alive.
The video shows a man dressed in an orange jumpsuit being engulfed by flames while locked in a cage. The film is highly produced its gruesome content is designed to reignite the world’s shock and outrage at the brutality through which IS defines itself.
Jordan’s King Abdullah described Kasasbeh as a hero, and said that Jordan must stand united against the threat of the Islamic State.
The 26-year-old pilot was captured when his plane came down near Raqqa, the de-facto capital of the Islamic State, while carrying out a mission against IS targets.
It is unclear exactly when and where the footage was shot, but Jordanian state television reports that Kasasbeh had been killed by IS militants a month ago, a period throughout which Jordan had attempted to negotiate his release.
Amman has vowed to exact revenge for Kasabeh’s death against what it describes as a “deviant criminal organisation”.
