Islamic State militants posted a video on Tuesday in which a captured Jordanian pilot was apparently burned alive.

A television station in Jordan reported the burning of Islamic State hostage, pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, seemed to have taken place on January 3. The authenticity of the video could not be verified independently.

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Islamic State followers captured al-Kaseasbeh in December last year after his jet fighter crashed in rebel-controlled territory. He was the first pilot to be taken hostage since U.S.-led forces started an aerial campaign against Islamic State last year.

The footage was posted several days after Islamic extremists apparently beheaded a second Japanese hostage.

Islamic State's al-Furqan Media Foundation purportedly produced the recording, which showed for the first time killing a prominent hostage by fire, said IntelCenter, a group which monitors extremist posts online.

Islamic State captives were usually either shot or beheaded.

The supposedly burning showed how militants were changing its ways of gaining more media mileage for its atrocities, IntelCenter said.

The "Healing of the Believers' Chests" clip - which ran for 22 minutes and 34 seconds - opened with news footage of Jordan's participation in the U.S.-led strike against the Islamic State.

The footage then zoom in on al-Kaseasbeh - who appeared with a black eye - talking about Jordan's military action in a news-style delivery.

After the pilot's monologue, the clip weaves shots of the hostage in the middle of fighters and recordings of bombings' aftermath. Before the video ended, al-Kaseasbeh was shown upright inside an enclosure where militants set him on fire.

Last week, Jordan agreed to trade an al-Qaeda prisoner for the pilot's release, but negotiations bogged down.

The Islamic State wanted the safe return of Sajida al-Rishawi, an Iraqi sentenced to death for taking part in a string of hotel bombings in Jordan five years ago. 

TagsJordanian Pilot, Muath al-Kaseasbeh, ISIS