The US Central Command (CENTCOM) affirmed that the Jordanian F-16 aircraft that crashed in Raqqa, east Syria, earlier Wednesday was not downed by ISIL.
While the pilot is believed to be held captive by the group, "evidence clearly indicates that ISIL did not down the aircraft as the terrorist organization is claiming," said a CENTCOM statement.
"The Jordanians are highly-respected and valued partners and their pilots and crews have performed exceptionally well over the course of this campaign," said General Lloyd J. Austin III, the commander overseeing the US-led coalition's fight against ISIL.
"We strongly condemn the actions of ISIL which has taken captive the downed pilot. We will support efforts to ensure his safe recovery, and will not tolerate ISIL's attempts to misrepresent or exploit this unfortunate aircraft crash for their own purposes," he emphasized in the statement.