ISIS claims capture of Jordanian pilot after plane shot down over Syria

 ISIS militants claim to have captured a Jordanian pilot after shooting down a coalition warplane over Syria on Wednesday, according to a statement posted on an ISIS-affiliated Twitter account, CNN reported.

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had reported earlier Wednesday that ISIS had shot down an unidentified warplane near the extremist group's stronghold of Raqqa.

The city is one of the main targets for the U.S.-led coalition that's fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Photos purported to be of the captured pilot were posted online. CNN couldn't independently confirm the authenticity of the images.

Jordan is one of several Arab nations that has taken part in airstrikes on ISIS positions in Syria since September.

The capture of a pilot would be a setback for the anti-ISIS alliance.

The Sunni terrorist group is known for its brutal treatment of its enemies and those who don't share its extremist interpretation of Islam, including the beheadings of Western hostages.

The coalition stepped up its attacks on Raqqa in late November, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

ISIS has made the city, which sits on the banks of the Euphrates River, the de facto capital of its self-declared Islamic State that stretches across large areas of Syria and Iraq.