The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured on Wednesday a Jordanian pilot after his jet crashed in Syria's Raqqa province. The extremist group claims it downed the aircraft, but the U.S. Central Command belied their claim.

The Jordanian government thought the plane was shot, but it confirmed through spokesman Mohammed al-Momani that it crashed.

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The jet's pilot is Moaz al-Kasasbeh, 26. His family, through the aviator's brother, Jawad al-Kasasbeh, asked ISIS to be merciful to his brother and release him.

Besides pointing out that Moaz "is just a soldier who is following orders and has no authority," Jawad stressed that they are Islam followers and his brother is a pious person who fasts and prays and brings his Quran in all his flights.

The pilot is the nephew of Maj. Gen. Fahd al-Kasasbeh, a retired military official. He confirmed it is Moaz, based on the pilot's photo in tweets by ISIS. He sought the help of the Royal Jordanian Air Force to probe the incident and find ways to help his nephew be released.

One tweeted photo showed four men pushing a man who was bloodied through shallow water, possibly headed for the shore. Another photo showed Moaz surrounded by masked ISIS fighters. The group also included in the tweet are images of the pilot's military ID.

General Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of the U.S. Central Command, condemned ISIS capturing the Jordanian pilot. He said, quoted by VOA News, "We will support efforts to ensure his safe recovery, and we will not tolerate ISIL's attempts to misrepresent or exploit this unfortunate aircraft crash for their own purposes."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon joined on Wednesday the call for ISIS to treat the Jordanian pilot "in accordance with international humanitarian law."

Maj. Gen. Ali Shuhkri, a retired Jordanian military officer, said the capture of Moaz won't change Jordan's commitment to the U.S.-led Coalition to fight the ISIS though airstrikes.

TagsISIS, jordan military jet