Jordan unleashed punishing airstrikes on the Islamic State this week, and today ISIS claimed that one of those strikes killed an American aid worker.
The name of the 26-year-old has not been released in the media at the request of her family, but the ISIS statement published a name, address in Arizona, phone and email purportedly belonging to her.
ISIS has released no proof of life, and tried to wrangle a swap out of Jordan for a pilot it had already killed.
ISIS claimed that the air worker was alone in a building during Friday prayers when the “Crusader alliance” launched “continuous raids on the same location for more than an hour.”
They also claimed “thankfully” no jihadists were killed, and referred to the aid worker as an agent.
ISIS posted three pictures of building rubble, but no sign of anyone’s death.
National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan issued a statement saying the administration is “obviously deeply concerned by these reports,” but “we have not at this time seen any evidence that corroborates ISIL’s claim.”
“They tried to cause problems internally in Jordan and haven’t succeeded,” Jordanian Interior Minister Hussein Majali said. “They are now trying to drive a wedge between the coalition with this latest low PR stunt.”
Earlier today on CNN International, Majali stressed “we cannot play with the rules of the game in Syria or in Iraq, or any other place where these creatures are breeding.”
Majali also said it’s a broader war against ideology. “We’ve got to fight this ideology, because you might eradicate them in the northern Syrian area and in some areas in Iraq, but the production line has got to also stop,” he added.
“This momentum will continue. Jordanians are very proud people,” he said. “You can do whatever, but don’t insult our pride. And I tell you, a message for those forces of evil: wait. The best is yet to come.”
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