Response to pilot's killing will be harsh, says Jordan king

Amman: King Abdullah II of Jordan Wednesday said the country's response to the killing of the pilot by the Islamic State (IS) group will be harsh, media reported.

At a meeting with top officers of the Jordan Armed Forces, the king said the IS terrorist organisation was fighting not only against Jordan but also Islam and its noble values. He stressed that Jordan was engaged in this war to protect Islam and its values, Xinhua reported citing the state-run Petra news agency.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jordan's Lower House condemned the killing as a heinous crime of terrorism and said it was confident that its army can avenge the killing of the pilot.

The pilot was captured by the group after his fighter jet crashed in Raqqah in Syria.

Wednesday Jordan hanged two Iraqi prisoners--Sajida Rishawi and Ziad Karbuli--who were affiliated to the IS, after the militant group burnt the pilot alive.

Rishawi was captured after she failed to detonate a belt of explosives in Amman in 2005 and Karbuli was convicted of terrorist acts in 2007.

Jordan's political parties have condemned the killing of the pilot, calling him as a martyr and a hero. Several activists have also planned for a demonstration Friday against his death.

In a video released Jan 24, the IS demanded the release of Rishawi, saying they would kill the pilot and the Japanese hostage, Kenji Goto, if she was not released.

Jordan then demanded proof that the pilot was still alive, but the IS did not provide any. On Sunday, the IS showed a video of beheading Goto.