Jordan targets Islamic State militants’ base of Raqqa on third day of air strikes

Jordan had hit ammunition depots, training camps and a communications tower, an official said.

Amman | February 7, 2015 09:18 PM IST

2 min read

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.

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