Amman: A prominent militant preacher lashed out on Friday against Daesh militants for burning to death a Jordanian pilot, saying this is “not acceptable in any religion.”

Abu Mohammad Al Maqdisi, considered a spiritual mentor for many Al Qaida militants, spoke a day after being released from more than three months in detention in Jordan.

His release and harsh criticism of Daesh come at a time when the Jordanian government is trying to win broad popular backing for intensified air strikes against the militants in response to the killing of the pilot.

Earlier this week, Daesh militants released a video showing the pilot, Lt Muath Al Kaseasbeh, being burnt to death in a cage.

In an interview with the Jordanian TV station Roya, Al Maqdisi said that such an act “is not acceptable by any religion and by anyone.”

The cleric indicated that he had been involved in back-channel talks to arrange a possible prisoner swap to win the release of the pilot, who was captured after his plane crashed over Syria in December. Jordan offered last week to swap an Al Qaida prisoner for the pilot, but said after the release of the video that it became clear that the pilot had already been killed in early January.

Al Maqdisi said he believed the militants were never serious about arranging a swap.

“During my communication, they lied and they were evasive,” he said. “They acted like they were interested [in a swap], but in fact they were not interested.”

He also criticised Daesh for declaring a caliphate last year in the areas under its control in Syria and Iraq. Al Maqdisi said a caliphate, or state run according to Sharia, is meant to bring Muslims together, but that the militants have been a divisive force.

A decade ago, Al Maqdisi was considered a mentor of the Al Qaida branch in Iraq, a precursor to Daesh. However, the cleric fell out with his proteges over their methods, including attacks on fellow Muslims.

Jordan arrested the cleric in October, after he criticised Jordan’s participation in a US-led military coalition against Daesh. Jordan, which borders Syria and Iraq, joined the coalition in September.

In the wake of the killing of the pilot, Jordan said it would intensify its attacks. On Thursday, dozens of fighter jets struck Daesh weapons depots and training areas, the military said.