JORDAN: A Syrian air force pilot defects to Jordan, landing his MiG-21 fighter jet at a military airbase and asking for political asylum, a Jordanian official says

Record ID: 281095

  • Title: JORDAN: A Syrian air force pilot defects to Jordan, landing his MiG-21 fighter jet at a military airbase and asking for political asylum, a Jordanian official says
  • Date: 22nd June 2012
  • Summary: AMMAN, JORDAN (JUNE 21, 2012) (REUTERS) JORDANIAN MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION, SAMIH AL-MAAYTAH, SPEAKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) JORDANIAN MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION, SAMIH AL-MAAYTAH, SAYING: "Today at 10.45 in the morning, Amman time, a jet fighter from the Syrian airforce, type MIG 21, landed at an airforce base and the pilot asked for politi
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jordan
  • Country: Jordan
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD7AFLUJEOXPZBJFLY283YPU6K
  • Story Text: A Syrian air force pilot defected to Jordan on Thursday (June 21), landing his MiG-21 fighter plane at a military airbase and asking for political asylum, Jordanian officials said.
    The defection is the first involving an aircraft since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad although thousands of soldiers have deserted from the Syrian army, whose ranks are mostly filled by members of the Sunni Muslim majority.
    "Today at 10.45 in the morning, Amman time, a jet fighter from the Syrian airforce, type MIG 21, landed at an airforce base and the pilot asked for political asylum in Jordan," said Jordanian Minister of State for Information Samih al-Maaytah.
    "This is a military issue and after arriving to Jordan, we took the necessary information from the pilot and other measures will be announced in due time. Syria did not contact us yet but every state deals with such issue based on its interest and the law."
    A Jordanian security source said the pilot flew from al-Dumair military airport northeast of Damascus and landed at the King Hussein Airbase at 11 a.m. (0800 GMT).
    King Hussein Airbase, named after the country's late monarch, is a military airport situated near the border with Syria, 80 kms (50 miles) northeast of the capital Amman.
    Syrian state television named the pilot as Colonel Hassan Hamada and said communications were lost with his plane at 10:34 a.m. while he was on a training mission near the border with Jordan.
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