Jordan has confirmed
the death of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh after a video published online by Islamic
State (IS) claimed to show him being burned alive.
The video shows a man
standing in a cage and engulfed in flames. Officials are working to confirm it
is genuine.
Jordan's King Abdullah
hailed Lt Kasasbeh as a hero, saying Jordan must "stand united" in the
face of hardship.
The pilot was captured
when his plane came down near Raqqa, Syria, in December during a mission
against IS.
The video posted
online on Tuesday was distributed via a Twitter account known as a source for
IS propaganda.
The highly produced
22-minute film includes a sequence showing the Jordanian pilot walking at
gunpoint amongst rubble apparently caused by coalition air strikes that
targeted jihadists.
The BBC's security
correspondent, Frank Gardner, says that in a world already shocked by the
calculated cruelty of Islamic State's actions, the new and horrific video is
aimed primarily at Arab populations in Jordan and the Gulf States.
Jordanian state TV
reports that Lt Kasasbeh, 26, was killed a month ago - since when Jordan has
continued attempts to secure his release.
The country has vowed
"punishment and revenge" for his death, and the king described IS as
a "deviant criminal group".
Jordan's King
Abdullah: "It is every Jordanian's duty to stand together"
Jordan, which is part
of the US-led coalition against IS, had been attempting to secure Lt Kasasbeh's
release as part of a prisoner swap, offering to free Iraqi militant Sajida
al-Rishawi in exchange.
She is a failed
suicide bomber now on death row in Jordan for her role in attacks in the
capital, Amman, that killed 60 people in 2005.
IS had sought
Rishawi's release as part of a deal to free captive Japanese journalist Kenji
Goto. A video that appeared to show Goto's dead body appeared three days ago.
At the scene: Richard
Colebourn, BBC News, Amman
Relatives had gathered around Lt Kasasbeh's father (centre) in
Amman
Hundreds are gathered
outside the hall on the outskirts of Amman where family members and friends of
the Jordanian pilot have been congregating for days.
As the news emerged
people prayed in commemoration for his life and gathered around mobile phones
looking at the gruesome images circulating on social media. Immediate family
members have not spoken, but an uncle of the pilot told the BBC that Jordan
must act against such extremists.
As the evening went on
more Jordanians gathered. Angry shouts went up calling for unity and chanting
the pilot's name. But some have also called out against Jordan's participation
in the coalition.
A spokesman for the
Jordanian armed forces, Mamdouh al-Ameri, said Lt Kasasbeh had "fallen as
a martyr".
"While the
military forces mourn the martyr, they emphasise his blood will not be shed in
vain. Our punishment and revenge will be as huge as the loss of the
Jordanians."
Jordanian officials
were quoted as saying Rishawi would be executed imminently, with three other
convicted militants also reportedly to be put to death.
Analysis: Jonathan
Marcus, BBC diplomatic correspondent
One thing is clear
from this video - Islamic State never had any intention of releasing the young
Jordanian pilot. According to Jordanian state media he was killed on 3 January,
well before the supposed prisoner exchange talks moved into high gear.
The cynical
manipulation of this episode by IS shows the importance it affords to
information warfare - here an attempt to create problems for the Jordanian
authorities and to weaken the Arab-Western coalition, at a time when it appears
to be struggling to make dramatic headway against IS on the ground.
This is the problem
for the coalition. Its air campaign is in many ways a stop-gap intended to halt
the progress of IS, but requiring effective troops on the ground to
significantly turn back its advance.
Jordan's King Abdullah is cutting short a visit to the US
after news of Lt Kasasbeh's death, but will meet President Barack Obama before
he heads home.
In his televised
statement, the king called IS a "criminal deviant group which has no
connection whatsoever with our great religion".
Mr Obama earlier said
in a statement that if the video was real, it would be "one more
indication of the viciousness and barbarity" of IS.
"I think it will
redouble the vigilance and determination on the part of the global coalition to
make sure they are degraded and ultimately defeated," he added.
The Jordanian king has
already met US Vice-President Joe Biden who "reinforced America's ironclad
support" for Jordan, the White House said.
Gen Ali Shukri, a
former Jordanian army officer, told the BBC the news would cause "total
dismay" in Jordan.
"This is
something that hasn't been seen before," he said.
"It's an absolute
terror. Now the very old saying of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth is
going to be brought back, and I think days ahead of us will show that to [IS]
and whoever is supporting them."
Timeline: Jordanian
pilot held hostage
24 December 2014: Jordanian Lt Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh
captured by IS after his plane crashes
25 December 2014: Pilot's father urges IS to show mercy
20 January 2015: IS threatens to kill two Japanese hostages
unless Japan pays $200m ransom within 72 hours
24 January: IS releases video of Japanese hostage Kenji
Goto holding a picture apparently showing Haruna Yukawa's decapitated body
24 January: IS calls for release of Sajida
al-Rishawi, an Iraqi militant sentenced to death in Jordan
28 January: Jordan offers to release Rishawi in exchange
for Lt Kasasbeh
29 January: Deadline to kill Lt Kasasbeh and Mr Goto
expires
31 January: Video released appearing to show Kenji
Goto's body
3 February: Video released appearing to show Lt Kasasbeh
burnt alive, with Jordanian media suggesting he was killed weeks earlier
source, bbc news
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