Jordan has pledged to save a Jordanian pilot held hostage by Daesh following an announcement by the terrorist group that it has beheaded a Japanese hostage.
Moaz al-Kassasbeh, the Jordanian pilot, was captured by Daesh on December 24, 2014 after his F-16 jet crashed while flying over northern Syria on a mission against the terrorists.
Jordan “will do everything it can to save the life and secure the release of its pilot,” Jordanian government spokesman, Mohammed al-Momeni, said on Sunday.
“All state organizations have been mobilized to secure the proof of life that we require so that he can be freed and returned to his home,” Momeni added.
The Daesh terrorist group had threatened to execute the captured Jordanian pilot if Amman fails to hand over Sajida al-Rishawi, a female terrorist linked to the Daesh, in exchange for the Japanese hostage by a Thursday deadline.
While Daesh had offered the release of the Japanese hostage for the handover of the Rishawi, the Jordanian government said it would release her if Kasasbeh is freed.
Daesh released a video on Saturday purportedly showing the decapitation of the Japanese hostage, Kenji Goto.
Momeni condemned the beheading of the Japanese journalist, saying, “We spared no effort, in coordination with the Japanese government, to save his life.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe voiced outrage over the apparent execution, saying, “I am extremely angry about these heinous and despicable terrorist acts. We will never forgive terrorists.”
The Daesh extremists have been engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control in Iraq and Syria. They have terrorized and killed people of all communities, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.
