A Jordanian pilot was captured yesterday by Islamic State gunmen after his F-16 jet fighter crashed during an air strike over the town of Raqqa in the ISIS ruled Dir E’Zor region in South Eastern Syria.
It was the second loss of an F-16 operated by the US lead coalition, The first was a US Air Force F-16 that crashed over Jordan after taking off for a strike mission over Syria. The American pilot was killed.
ISIS claimed their troops shot down the aircraft but US Central Command officials denied this claim. “Evidence clearly indicates” that the terrorist group “did not down the aircraft,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Jordan is one of several nations taking part in the US lead coalition, which also includes other Western and Middle eastern nations. The air campaign has recently stepped up against Raqqa, as well as against ISIS forces combating Iraqi security forces in West-central Iraq.
