Father urges IS to release Jordanian pilot

CRI, December 26, 2014

The father of a Jordanian pilot seized by Islamic State militants in Syria has pleaded with the group to treat his son as a "guest" and release him.

Safi Yousef al-Kasaesbeh says he hopes the militants won't treat his son as a hostage.

"I ask them in the name of God, and I ask with the dignity of the prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him to receive him as a guest and treat him well."

He also expressed hope that his son will be released safely due to his Muslim background.

The pilot, Lt Moaz al-Kasaesbeh was captured after his jet crashed in north-eastern Syria on Wednesday during a bombing mission.

Jordan is one of four Arab states in the US-led coalition that has launched air strikes on the Islamic State in Syria.

It is still unclear what caused the plane to crash in Raqqa, an IS stronghold.

Officials in Jordan say it doesn't look like Islamic State militants are responsible for the downing of the plane.

A statement claims it is difficult to pinpoint the reason for the crash, especially since reaching the actual crash site is unlikely.

Meantime, the Lower House of Jordan's government has issued a warning of dire consequences to the militants if they harm the captured pilot.

News of the capture of the Jordanian pilot has reverberated across Jordan, with King Abdullah reportedly personally visiting the operations center.