Bahrain ready to back Jordan fight against IS

Bahrain’s ruler tells his Jordanian counterpart that he is ready to assist the kingdom in its fight against the Islamic State group, the royal palace in Amman says.

King Hamad of Bahrain, quoted in a palace statement, tells King Abdullah II that he is “proud to provide all the help Jordan needs to combat terrorism and protect Islam from Daesh (IS).”

Talks between the two monarchs in Amman on Monday focus on reinforcing military cooperation between their countries, notably their air forces, the statement says.

Jordan has vowed to intensify its airstrikes against IS as part of a US-led coalition after the jihadists burned alive one of its pilots captured in December when his F-16 fighter jet went down over Syria.

— AFP