The Jordanian army has pledged to avenge the death of a pilot killed by Islamic State militants who claim to have burned the captive alive, Radio New Zealand reports.
Islamic State militants have released images purporting to show Maaz al-Kassasbeh burning to death. The pilot was captured in December last year when his plane came down during the US-led operation against IS extremists in Syria.
In a televised statement, Jordanian army spokesman Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri confirmed the death.
“The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan,” he said.
Correspondent Alisa Reznick, in the Jordanian capital Amman, said authorities are ushering IS prisoners to a central prison where, it is reported, they are being executed.
“A couple of days ago Jordan said it would begin executing all of its Isis-related prisoners if they had found out that the pilot was in fact dead,” she said.
US President Barack Obama said the video, if real, would redouble the determination of the US-led alliance to degrade and destroy Islamic State.
"Whatever ideology they're operating off of, it's bankrupt," he said.
