BEIRUT: A video published online by Islamic State (IS) militants claims to show Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive.
The video, which could not immediately be verified, shows a man standing in a cage and engulfed in flames. Lt Moaz al-Kasasbeh was captured when his plane came down near Raqqa, Syria, in December on a mission to support the US-led military coalition against IS.
Jordanian state TV confirmed the death and said he was killed a month ago. The video posted online on Tuesday was distributed via a Twitter account known as a source for IS propaganda.
A relative of Lt Kasasbeh told Reuters news agency that the Jordanian armed forces had informed the family that he had been killed. The Jordanian government confirmed ISIS had killed the captive pilot and said this had happened on Jan. 3, state television reported.
The White House said on Tuesday the U.S. intelligence community was working to authenticate the video and it condemned the militant group.
“The United States strongly condemns ISIL’s actions and we call for the immediate release of all those held captive by ISIL,” White House spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said in a statement, using another acronym for ISIS.
“We stand in solidarity with the Government of Jordan and the Jordanian people,” she said.
Moaz al-Kasasbeh: ISIS video claims Jordan pilot hostage ‘burned alive’
