Jordan carried out air strikes on Islamic State targets for the third day running on Saturday, mainly targeting the jihadist group's Syrian stronghold of Raqqa, a security source said. "Sorties of air force fighters today bombed (Islamic State) bases," state television said in a bulletin. It gave no details. Jordan launched the raids on Thursday in response to the group's killing of a captive Jordanian pilot. A second security official told Reuters Jordan had conducted at least 60 raids over the past three days, mainly on targets in Islamic State-controlled territory in Syria but also on several in Iraq. They had hit targets including ammunition depots, training camps and a communications tower, the official said. Jordan's King Abdullah has vowed to avenge pilot Mouath al-Kasaesbeh's brutal killing, and ordered his commanders to prepare for a stepped-up military role in the US-led coalition against Islamic State. But many Jordanians fear being dragged into a conflict that could trigger a backlash by hardline militants inside the kingdom.
