News Digest

Jordan honours its murdered pilot after fresh air strikes in Syria

Jordanian jets have carried out a flypast over the hometown of the pilot burnt to death by Islamic State after returning from fresh bombing raids. State television reported the flypast but did not say which locations had been targeted in airstrikes. Jordan’s King Abdullah, visiting Mu’ath Al Kassasbeh’s grieving family, pointed at the planes as he sat next to the pilot’s father.

This terrorist organisation is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values.

King Abdullah or Jordan

A video showing 26-year-old Al Kassasbeh being killed in a cage was released earlier this week - although it is thought it happened a month ago. The pilot was captured in December when his F-16 crashed near Raqqa in Syria. His father said the killers were worse than animals and had no connection with Islam. ”My feeling is that of every father - I am mourning my own son,” he said. ”The whole world, the Arab world, the Jordanian society is mourning with me. What they did is more than criminal - it’s never been seen before in history.”