Jordan’s king vows ‘harsh’ war against Islamic State group

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) -- Jordan's king vowed to wage a "harsh" war against the Islamic State group after the militants burned a captive Jordanian pilot in a cage and released a video of the killing.

The images have sent waves of revulsion across the region.

King Abdullah II consulted with military chiefs Wednesday, after cutting short a U.S. trip, to formulate a response. Jordan is part of a U.S.-led military alliance that has been bombing IS targets in Syria for nearly five months.

In a statement, the king said Jordan is waging a war of principles against the militants. He said that Jordan's response to the killing of the pilot "will be harsh because this terrorist organization is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values."

Abdullah pledged to hit the militants "hard in the very center of their strongholds."

Jordanian officials have not presented details of their response, but said they would be working closely with their allies in the anti-IS coalition.

In Washington, leading members of Congress have called for increased U.S. military assistance to the kingdom. Currently, the United States is providing Jordan with $1 billion annually in economic and military assistance.

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