Jordan Executes 2 al-Qaeda Prisoners After Islamic State Execution

Jordan officials executed two al-Qaeda prisoners on Wednesday, one day after the Islamic State showed a video of Jordanian hostage Lt. Muath Al-Kaseasbeh being burned alive.

The Islamic State had previously planned a prisoner swap with Jordan so Kaseasbeh may be released, but the swap allegedly failed as the horrifying video of Kaseasbeh's death was uploaded to the Islamic State's social media page on Tuesday.

Previously, the vicious terrorist organization has uploaded videos of public beheadings. Officials in the Middle East argue that a video of someone being burned alive is a new level of barbarism for the terrorist group.

Middle Eastern leaders have also condemned the Islamic State's attack on fellow Muslims; previously, the terrorist group executed mostly westerners.

A Jordanian government spokesperson promised a "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" response to Kaseasbeh's murder, while army spokesman Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri said: "The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan."

"While the military forces mourn the martyr, they emphasize his blood will not be shed in vain," Ameri added in a statement read on Jordanian national television.

The executions carried out by Jordan took place just before dawn Wednesday, and included a female would-be suicide bomber for al-Qaeda.

Other world leaders have also condemned the brutal killing of the Jordanian pilot, including President Barack Obama, who said in a statement that the recent execution shows the "viciousness and barbarity" of the Islamic State group.

"And it, I think, will redouble the vigilance and determination on the part of a global coalition to make sure that they are degraded and ultimately defeated," Obama told reporters.