ISIS Explains Why it Burned the Jordanian Pilot

The so-called Islamic State (ISIS) militants posted a gruesome twenty-two minute video showing how the Jordanian pilot was burnt alive. While the world reacted in condemnation of the barbaric act, the ISIS has explained the killing to its supporters, saying it had to burn Muath al-Kaseasbeh alive in a cage for his "actions."

The so-called Islamic State captured Muath al-Kaseasbeh, the Jordanian pilot, on 24 December last year after his F-16 fighter jet crashed due to a technical snag near Raqqa, Syria. Since then, ISIS has been threatening to kill him.

The group even held a discussion with its online supporters seeking suggestions on "gruesome" ways to kill the Jordanian pilot. After killing him, the Islamic State is now attempting to justify its action to its followers.

In its statement released via ISIS affiliate accounts, it claims that Muath al-Kaseasbeh was part of the "American-Arab coalition, who were bombing innocent civilians in Syria and Iraq day and night."

The group said that Muath al-Kaseasbeh deserved the punishment as he himself had burnt many civilians alive.

And so, "the Islamic State decided to lock [Muath al-Kaseasbeh] in a cage (representing a building), burn him alive, and then throw concrete bricks on his body (similar to how a person is burnt from an airstrike and the building falls on his body)), as a Qisaas (retribution punishment) for what he did in al-Raqqah."

The ISIS video shows the young pilot wearing an orange jumpsuit in a cage; ISIS militants are seen dousing him with petrol before setting him on fire.

The ISIS statement,which has been released both in Arabic and English, also warns Arab members of the US-led coalition.

"The so-called Islamic State is giving a clear warning to the Arabs' and the world in general - that if you kill our followers and fight the Islamic State - you will get a death similar to how you gave it to the them," ISIS said in the statement.