A message purporting to be from ISIS has set a deadline for Jordan: Bring convicted terrorist Sajida al-Rishawi to the Turkish border by sunset Thursday or the pilot will die.
Tied to his fate is that of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto, also held by ISIS.
Jordan has said the pilot is its priority. It’s ready to release al-Rishawi if al-Kassasbeh is released unharmed.
So who is al-Kassasbeh and how did he end up in ISIS’ hands?
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The Jordanian government and U.S. Central Command described the incident as an aircraft crash and adamantly stated that it was not shot down by ISIS, as the group claims.
“I checked the system display and it indicated that the engine was damaged and burning,” the pilot is quoted as saying. “The plane began to deviate from its normal flight path, so I ejected. I landed in the Furat River by parachute and the seat caught on some ground, keeping me fixed, until I was captured by soldiers of the Islamic State.”
More than a month later, al-Kassasbeh remains in the militants’ hands, a clock ticking on his future.
CNN’s Salma Abdelaziz, Jomana Karadsheh and Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.
