His Majesty King Abdullah on Thursday visited the town of Ayy, near the southern city of Karak, to offer condolences to the family of air force pilot Moath Kasasbeh, who was killed by the ISIL terrorist group.

King Abdullah said the pilot has joined an elite group of fallen heroes, who died in the line of duty across Jordan’s history, “defending beloved Jordan, the message of Islam and humanity".

Addressing Kasasbeh’s family and tribe, His Majesty underlined that the Jordan Armed Forces-Arab Army is proud of the martyr, “whose name will forever be carved in the hearts of Jordanians”.

The King stressed that the war on terrorism will continue in the defence of Islam, the country and people.

His Majesty was accompanied by His Royal Highness Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour, Royal Court Chief Fayez Tarawneh and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs-of-Staff and King’s Adviser for Military Affairs Mashal Al Zaben, along with other senior civil and military officials.

For his part, Safi Kasasbeh, the pilot’s father, said that His Majesty’s visit and support to the family are highly appreciated, noting that the Kasasbeh tribe, “like all Jordanians”, stands unified and strong behind the Hashemite leadership.

“My son, Moath, is your son,” he told the King, saying that the tribe’s youth are willing to walk the same path of Moath and die in defence of Jordan.