Syrian MiG 21 fighter jet pilot defects to Jordan, updates

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A Syrian MiG 21 fighter jet landed in Jordan on Thursday in what opposition activists said was the first defection involving an aircraft since the start of a 15-month-old uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

“The plane landed at King Hussein Airbase at 11 a.m. (0800 GMT),” a Jordanian security source told Reuters, referring to a military airport 80 kms (50 miles) northest of the capital Amman.

Syrian state television said communication was lost with a plane of the same model at 10:34 a.m. while it was on a training mission near the southern border with Jordan.

Reuters

Updates: The pilot has asked for political asylum, according to Reuters citing a Jordanian minister

Here are a few unconfirmed details about the breaking defection story.

Journalist Zaid Benjamin tweets:

#BREAKING: A source in the Free Syrian Army says that a Syrian pilot defected and more to come #Syria #Assad #Damascus

— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) June 21, 2012

#BREAKING: A source in the Free Syrian Army says the final destination of the defected pilot could be #France – Radio Sawa #Syria #Assad

— Zaid Benjamin (@zaidbenjamin) June 21, 2012

Opposition site Urgarit News says:

A Syrian MiG-21 piloted by Colonel Hasan Mar’e Hammade is reported to have defected and landed in a military base in Jordan, after the Syrian regime reported losing contact with the aircraft at 10.34am ‘near the southern region’.

Guardian

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5 responses to “Syrian MiG 21 fighter jet pilot defects to Jordan, updates”

  1. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Flying the friendly skies ….

  2. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Flying the friendly skies ….

  3. 5thDrawer Avatar
    5thDrawer

    Flying the friendly skies ….

  4. dateam Avatar

    who owns the model plane in the picture???

  5. dateam Avatar

    who owns the model plane in the picture???

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