Ban Ki-moon Calls on Islamic State to Treat Jordanian Pilot Lawfully

Islamic State should treat the captured Jordanian pilot in accordance with international humanitarian law, Ban Ki-moon said.

UNITED NATIONS, December 24 (Sputnik) — UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged Islamic State (IS) to adhere to international humanitarian law in treating the Jordanian pilot it has captured, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for Ban, said.

“The Secretary General calls on his captors to treat the pilot in accordance with international humanitarian law. Obviously the Secretary General is following the situation very closely and is deeply concerned with continued use of violence,” Dujarric said.

Ban also expressed concern, Dujarric said, over the shooting down of the plane belonging to the Jordanian military.

On Wednesday, the Jordanian military confirmed the capture of one of its pilots after a plane was downed during an operation to destroy IS shelters in the Syrian province of Raqqa.

IS, a jihadist group, has been fighting the Syrian government since 2012. In June 2014, the group extended its attacks to northern parts of Iraq, declaring a caliphate on the territories under its control.

In a bid to crack down on the militants, the United States set up an international coalition, with some 60 nations directly or indirectly participating in airstrikes against IS in both Iraq and Syria.