In response to brutal murder of captured pilot, Jordan retaliates with 30 massive airstrikes in ISIS capital

Jordan not cowed by brutal tactics

Less than two days after the Islamic State released a video depicting the brutal execution of Jordanian pilot Moath al-Kasabeh, Jordan has responded with a flurry of devastating airstrikes, and promises that more are on the way.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - On February 5, Jordan fighter jets carried out several airstrikes against the Islamist group that has wreaked a swath of violence and destruction throughout Syria and Iraq, and then returned to Jordan, flying over the hometown of the slain 27-year-old, Ay.

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"This is just the beginning and you shall know who the Jordanians are," said a statement from the country's armed forces in a statement they released on state television.

Jordan's military reported that they hit Islamic State training centers, as well as ammunition and supply depots.

"All targets were completely destroyed and all the planes returned to their bases safely," the military reported.

These recent strikes were part of a mission called "Moath the Martyr." Moath was burned alive in a cage by the Islamic State, and Jordan-which had previously threatened to execute all its Islamic State prisoners if Moath was harmed-responded with executions and anger.

The terror tactic did work against one nation, and following the video's release, the United Arab Emirates withdrew from the U.S. led coalition.

Nasser Judeh, Jordan's foreign minister, went on CNN and repeated that these recent airstrikes are just the beginning of a long campaign in which Jordan intends to annihilate the Islamic State.

"We are upping the ante. We're going after them wherever they are, with everything that we have. But it's not the beginning, and it's certainly not the end," he said.

Moath's father, Safi al-Kasasbeh, said that Jordan's king, Abdullah, had personally promised him that his son's death would be avenged, and that the start of this would be an attack on the Islamic State's capital, Raqqa in Syria.

The recent airstrikes were part of this, and 30 fighter jets took part.

"The homeland is entrusted to you all," he said. "For you (soldiers), to honor Moath is to uphold your oath and to follow in his footsteps as soldiers for God, his prophet (and) Islam."

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Mohammed al-Momani, a Jordanian spokesman said that Jordan's future responses will be "strong" and "decisive."

"We will not let this crime of killing our pilots with the horrific way it was done pass without punishment," he said. "These people will be punished."

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