Jordan Air Force Commander: We Have Reduced 20% of Islamic State's Capabilities

General Mansour Al-Jbour, commander of the Jordanian Air Force, announced that Jordanian fighter jets have conducted 56 strikes against Islamic State positions and personnel in Syria over the past three days, stating that 'nearly 20% of the group's capabilities have been diminished.' Meanwhile, Iraqi forces are preparing for a large-scale ground assault against Islamic State militants. Jordan's airstrikes intensified after Islamic State militants released a video of the live burning of a Jordanian pilot hostage. On February 8, General Al-Jbour stated, 'We achieved what we wanted; we destroyed the group's transportation centers, arsenals, and fighters' shelters.' According to this senior military official, the Jordanian Air Force has conducted one-fifth of the coalition's airstrikes led by the United States against Islamic State positions in Syria. A U.S. official also told Reuters that the U.S. has provided intelligence and surveillance capabilities to Jordanian forces for this mission. Since joining the coalition's attacks, 7,000 militants have been killed, according to the Jordanian Air Force commander. A group of Jordanian citizens has recently posted various messages on social media supporting the killed pilot and the attacks against Islamic State. On the other hand, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated at the Munich Security Conference that the air campaign against ISIS in Syria, which began in September, has started to reclaim areas from the group. Kerry noted that since the campaign began in August against Islamic State forces, 2,000 airstrikes have been conducted, liberating one-fifth of the areas under the group's control. However, AFP reported that Kerry did not clarify whether he was referring to areas in Syria, Iraq, or both. Iraq is 'preparing' for a large-scale ground assault. General John Allen, coordinator of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, which includes Western and Arab countries, announced on February 8 the possibility of a large-scale ground operation by Iraqi forces against extremists 'in the coming weeks.' General Allen told the official Jordanian news agency that when Iraqi forces begin their ground assaults, the coalition will provide extensive fire support. Additionally, reports indicate the return of the United Arab Emirates' air forces to operations against Islamic State. The UAE has sent a squadron of F-16 fighters to Jordan to participate in airstrikes against Islamist militants.