MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Jordan has sent thousands of troops to the border with Iraq to prevent Islamic State fighters from penetrating its territory, anonymous sources from the Jordanian government told NBS News Tuesday.
The move comes as Jordan is stepping up its efforts to combat the Islamic State group following the execution of a Jordanian pilot.
Last week, IS militants posted images on social media showing Jordanian pilot Muath Kasaesbeh being burned alive. Kasaesbeh had been held hostage by IS militants since December 2014, when his plane crashed in Islamists-controlled territory in Syria. Jordanian state television reported that the execution took place on January 3.
The video caused outrage in Jordan, with the country's King Abdullah vowing to avenge the murder. In retaliation, Jordan executed two imprisoned al-Qaeda jihadists several hours after the video was released. The country also ramped up its airstrikes on Islamic State's positions.
Jordan is part of a US-led international coalition against the Islamic State. The coalition has been launching airstrikes targeting IS positions in Syria and Iraq, where the group has seized large swathes of land and proclaimed a caliphate on the captured territories.
