IS reportedly thwarts rescue attempt of Jordanian pilot

An attempted rescue of a Jordanian air force pilot held captive by the Islamic State was reportedly thwarted after terrorists from the organization unleashed heavy fire on commando helicopters that were trying to land near a home believed to be housing the prisoner.

According to unconfirmed reports in the Turkish press Friday, American special forces led the rescue effort, along with fighters from allied countries in the fight against IS. The Telegraph cited local activists saying that military helicopters attempted a nighttime raid on the de facto capital of Raqqa.

Syrian rebel sources cited in the reports say American fighter jets carried out diversionary airstrikes on IS targets in Raqqa, while two helicopters attempted a landing near a private house in the city where it was believed 1st Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh was being held.

IS fighters responded with heavy fire, reportedly thwarting the landing.

Activist groups in Syria said Friday that US-led coalition warplanes carried out more than a dozen airstrikes overnight in and around Raqqa

The air raids on the outskirts of the city were the heaviest coalition strikes on the city along the Euphrates River since the Islamic State captured the pilot.

The anti-Islamic State activist group called Raqqa Is Silently Being Slaughtered reported on Friday at least 13 coalition strikes. It said the Furoussiyeh area and the Division 17 military base were among the targets hit.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees activist collective also confirmed the air raids.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Earlier this week, the Islamic State published an interview with the Jordanian pilot who crashed in northern Syria last week.

The 26-year-old Jordanian is the first foreign military pilot to fall into the extremists’ hands since an international coalition began its aerial campaign against IS in September.

In a short Q&A segment in the extremist group’s monthly English-language magazine posted online, al-Kaseasbeh said his fighter jet was shot down by a heat-seeking missile near Raqqa, which is located on the banks of the Euphrates River in northern Syria.

Al-Kaseasbeh said he ejected from the aircraft and landed in the river, where he was taken captive by IS fighters.

Jordan has reportedly appealed to Turkey for help in securing the release of the pilot. Turkish officials told Turkish daily Hurriyet this week that the Jordanian government turned to the Turkish Embassy in Amman to request its assistance.

The airman’s family has appealed to IS for mercy, asking the group to treat him well in captivity as a fellow Muslim.

The capture — and the potential hostage situation — presents a nightmare scenario for Jordan, which vowed to continue its fight against the group that has overrun large parts of Syria and Iraq and beheaded foreign captives and local rivals.

The cause of the plane crash is disputed, with the US and Jordan saying it was a malfunction and IS saying they shot down his plane. IS released a simulation of its alleged operation to down the aircraft.

http://youtu.be/YZ6KI0i25b4

The United States and several Arab allies have been striking the Islamic State in Syria since September 23, and US and other international warplanes have been waging an air campaign against the extremists in Iraq for even longer. The campaign aims to push back the jihadi organization after it took over much of Iraq and Syria and declared a “caliphate.”

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are participating in the Syria airstrikes, with logistical support from Qatar. Jordan, in particular, has come under heavy criticism from militants for its participation.