Helicopter Attempts to Land in Northern Syria to Rescue Jordanian Pilot

Reports coming from Raqqa, a city in Northern Syria and the de-facto capital of the Islamic State, reveal about a possible failed operation carried out by US-led coalition forces to rescue a Jordanian pilot held by the militant group.

MOSCOW, January 3 (Sputnik) – A military helicopter tried to land in Raqqa, a city in Northern Syria and the de-facto capital of the Islamic State (IS), Friday overnight in an attempt to rescue a Jordanian hostage held by the militants, The Telegraph reported.

If the reports are confirmed about the night raid in Raqqa, it may have been the possibility of the US-led coalition forces attempting to rescue Jordanian pilot First Lieutenant Muath al-Kaseasbeh from captivity, Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) said.

Crowdsourcing Terror: ISIS Uses Social Media To Ask For Ideas On How To Kill Jordanian Pilot http://t.co/6Q85J3sfa8 pic.twitter.com/3mY9zshsnt

— Wolf♔H&U♔Raven (@WolfSpirit2013) 29 декабря 2014

The night raid failed, after the military helicopter came under heavy fire from the IS fighters when trying to land, according to activists from the group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently, who posted details of the raid on their website.

Hostage rescue mission in #ISIS's capital #Raqqa, #Syria foiled, claims group… http://t.co/JDJI6tU0KM pic.twitter.com/5pkMTLedqj

— TJ Chilly Willy (@streetscoop) 3 января 2015

One of the activists, Abu Ibrahim al-Raqqawi, said he saw “intense aerial activity” about 15 miles (some 25 kilometers) away from Raqqa the night before the raid.

Friday overnight, coalition planes started patrolling the area. “I have friends in the area. They saw what was happening from their rooftop and then had to take cover. There was an exchange of gunfire for 20 minutes, and someone was firing flares to light the sky”, said al-Raqqawi, cited by the Washington Post.

#BREAKING Coalition warplanes are flying in the sky of #Raqqa #Syria

— الرقة تذبح بصمت (@Raqqa_Sl) 3 января 2015

US officials, however, denied the reports. Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said there was no ground operation or any other raid involving the US forces, according to the Washington Post.

Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently is a group that monitors IS activities in the region. In the past, the group has exposed many human rights violations committed by the militant group, including beheadings.

The F-16 combat aircraft piloted by al-Kaseasbeh went down near Raqqa last month. He became the first foreign pilot to be captured by the IS since a campaign of airstrikes was launched against the movement by an international coalition in September.