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Jordan's air strikes on IS 'beginning of retaliation' Islamic State crisis: Thousands rally in Jordan
(about 4 hours later)
Jordanian air strikes on Islamic State (IS) targets are "the beginning of our retaliation" for the killing of a captured Jordanian pilot, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh has said. Thousands of people are marching in Jordan's capital, Amman, in support of their government's fight against Islamic State (IS) militants.
He told CNN that Jordan was going after IS "with everything that we have". Jordan says its warplanes carried out dozens of air strikes on IS targets in Syria on Thursday in response to the killing of a Jordanian fighter pilot.
The country's foreign minister said it was "upping the ante" against IS.
Until now, Arab states have only been involved in a fraction of the US-led air campaign against the militants.
The focus of Jordan's air strikes is reported to be Raqqa, the IS stronghold in Syria.
Local activists and IS sympathisers reported fresh strikes in the city on Friday, but these have not been confirmed by officials.
'This is our fight'
Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh said Thursday's attacks were "the beginning of our retaliation" for the murder of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh.
A video of Lt Kasasbeh, 26, being burned alive in a cage was posted online by IS earlier this week.
He was captured by the militants in December after his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria. The video is believed to have been filmed on 3 January.
"We're going to go after them and we will eradicate them. We are at the forefront. This is our fight," Mr Judeh told CNN.
Jordan had previously only bombed IS sites in Syria, but Mr Judeh said it was now also targeting IS in Iraq.Jordan had previously only bombed IS sites in Syria, but Mr Judeh said it was now also targeting IS in Iraq.
This comes after IS released a video showing Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burned alive in a cage. On Friday morning, Queen Rania joined thousands of people taking to the streets of the capital in a show of solidarity.
After Thursday's strikes, Jordanian war planes flew over Lt Kasasbeh's home village. The crowds gathered outside the capital's al-Husseini mosque after weekly prayers, waving Jordanian flags and pictures of Lt Kasasbeh.
Their flight coincided with a visit to the village by Jordanian King Abdullah II, who was meeting the pilot's family. According to the AFP news agency, some held placards that read: "Yes to punishment. Yes to the eradication of terrorism".
The king has vowed to step up the fight against IS. Jordan is part of a US-led coalition bombing the militants. After Thursday's strikes, Jordanian war planes flew over Lt Kasasbeh's home village of Aya, near the city of Karak, south of Amman.
'Ongoing effort' Their flight coincided with a visit to the village by King Abdullah II, who was meeting the pilot's family.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Mr Judeh said: "We said we are going to take this all the way, we are going to go after them wherever they are and we're doing that." King Abdullah, sitting sombre-faced with Saif al-Kasasbeh, the pilot's father, was said to have gestured to the skies as the warplanes flew overhead.
The minister confirmed that some of the strikes targeted militant training camps and ammunition depots both in Syria and Iraq.
"Today more Syria than Iraq, but... it's an ongoing effort."
Lt Kasasbeh, 26, was captured by the militants in December after his F-16 fighter jet crashed in Syria.
IS this week released its video showing the pilot's execution.
Jordan has officially confirmed the death, but said it believed the pilot was killed on 3 January.
'Enemies of Islam'
On Thursday, Jordan's state TV showed King Abdullah sitting sombre-faced with Saif al-Kasasbeh, the pilot's father, at a gathering in Aya village, near the city of Karak, south of the capital Amman.
The king gestured to the skies as the warplanes flew overhead, media reports said.
The army said in a statement that "dozens of jet fighters" had struck IS targets, including training camps and weapons warehouses.The army said in a statement that "dozens of jet fighters" had struck IS targets, including training camps and weapons warehouses.
State television showed people writing messages on what appeared to be missiles for the air strikes, with one calling IS "the enemies of Islam".State television showed people writing messages on what appeared to be missiles for the air strikes, with one calling IS "the enemies of Islam".
Also on Thursday, Jordan released an imprisoned jihadi cleric, Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, whose writings had inspired members of al-Qaeda in Iraq. On Friday, jihadi cleric Abu Mohammad al-Maqdisi, whose writings had inspired members of al-Qaeda in Iraq, said the killing of Lt Kasasbeh was "not acceptable in any religion".
Maqdisi, who has previously condemned IS as a "deviant organisation", was detained in late 2014 for promoting jihadist views online. Mr Maqdisi, who was unexpectedly released from prison on Thursday, told Jordanian TV station Roya that he had been involved in back-channel talks with IS to secure the release of Lt Kasasbeh.
The reason for his release was unclear, but security sources told Reuters that Maqdisi was expected to condemn the burning of the pilot. Jordan had offered to swap Sajida al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, for the captured pilot but Mr Maqdisi said the militants were never serious about an exchange.
On Wednesday, Jordan responded to the killing of the pilot by executing two convicts, including Sajida al-Rishawi, a failed female suicide bomber, and an al-Qaeda operative. "During my communication, they lied and they were evasive," he said. "They acted like they were interested [in a deal], but in fact they were not interested."
Last week, IS had demanded the release of Rishawi in return for sparing the pilot's life. Jordan executed Rishawi and another convicted al-Qaeda operative on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the US military said that the US-led coalition had conducted a total of nine air strikes on IS-targets in Iraq, and three on targets in Syria, between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Those strikes hit IS units near the Syrian town of Kobane, and in seven Iraqi cities including Fallujah, Kirkuk and Mosul, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement.
Jordan is one of four Arab states to have taken part in the anti-IS air strikes in Syria.
Timeline: Jordanian pilot held hostageTimeline: Jordanian pilot held hostage
24 December 2014: Jordanian Lt Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh captured by IS after his plane crashes24 December 2014: Jordanian Lt Moaz Youssef al-Kasasbeh captured by IS after his plane crashes
25 December 2014: Pilot's father urges IS to show mercy25 December 2014: Pilot's father urges IS to show mercy
20 January 2015: IS threatens to kill two Japanese hostages unless Japan pays $200m ransom within 72 hours20 January 2015: IS threatens to kill two Japanese hostages unless Japan pays $200m ransom within 72 hours
24 January: IS releases video of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto holding a picture apparently showing Haruna Yukawa's decapitated body24 January: IS releases video of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto holding a picture apparently showing Haruna Yukawa's decapitated body
24 January: IS calls for release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi militant sentenced to death in Jordan24 January: IS calls for release of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi militant sentenced to death in Jordan
28 January: Jordan offers to release Rishawi in exchange for Lt Kasasbeh28 January: Jordan offers to release Rishawi in exchange for Lt Kasasbeh
29 January: Deadline to kill Lt Kasasbeh and Mr Goto expires29 January: Deadline to kill Lt Kasasbeh and Mr Goto expires
31 January: Video released appearing to show Kenji Goto's body31 January: Video released appearing to show Kenji Goto's body
3 February: Video released appearing to show Lt Kasasbeh burnt alive, with Jordanian media suggesting he was killed weeks earlier3 February: Video released appearing to show Lt Kasasbeh burnt alive, with Jordanian media suggesting he was killed weeks earlier
Mid-East press calls for Islamic reformMid-East press calls for Islamic reform
Profile: Lt Moaz al-KasasbehProfile: Lt Moaz al-Kasasbeh