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US military: ISIS did not down Jordanian jet, did capture pilot

The terror group did not shoot down a Jordanian fighter jet in Syria as fighters claimed, the U.S. military said Wednesday, though the pilot was taken captive.
(Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State/AP)
This image posted by the Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group, a militant extremist group, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows members of the Islamic State group with a captured pilot, center, wearing a white shirt in Raqqa, Syria, on Dec. 24, 2014.
By Charlene Gubash, Charlene Gubash and Matthew Grimson, Matthew Grimson

CAIRO — The U.S. military says evidence shows the terror group ISIS did not shoot down a Jordanian F-16 fighter jet in Syria as fighters claimed, but said the aircraft crashed and the pilot has been taken captive by the group.

A statement from Jordan's military carried on state-run news agency Petra said the pilot was flying a mission against ISIS fighters in Syria when his plane crashed. It said the pilot was "taken hostage" by ISIS, adding that "Jordan holds the organization and those who support it responsible for the safety of the pilot and the preservation of his life."

"Evidence clearly indicates that ISIL did not down the aircraft as the terrorist organization is claiming," U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday, referring to another name used by the terror group that has seized territory in Iraq and Syria.

Read more at NBCNews.com.