Jordanian armed forces confirmed the murder of army pilot Moath Al-Kasasbah, who was killed by ISIL militants a month ago, and vowed to avenge his murder.
Kasasbah, whose plane crashed in the Syrian city of Ar-Raqqah and taken hostage by the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant some 40 days ago, was executed by ISIL militants on January 3, Colonel Mamduh Al-Ameri, amred forces spokesman, said in a statement aired by Jordanian TV.
"The blood of martyr Kasasbah will not go in vain," he asserted.
The TV said King Abdullah cut short his US visit soon after hearing of the Kasasbah's murder.
Minister of State for Information Affairs and government spokesman Mohammad Al-Momani condemned the killing of Kasasbah, whose F-16 jet crashed in Al-Raqqah while on a mission over northern Syria.
He ssaid intelligence asserted that the pilot was killed a month ago and that ISIL demands to swap him for Sajida Al-Rishawi, an Iraqi female on death-row in Jordan, were simply "stalling." The Jordanian government said last week it was ready to release Al-Rishawi but wanted guarantees that Kasasbah was alive.
Jordan is part of the US-led international coalition fighting ISIL in Iraq and Syria.