Ammon News - By Shaherah Khatatbeh

AMMONNEWS - The Jordanian authorities agreed to grant the defecting Syrian pilot who landed his military jet in a Jordanian airbase earlier Thursday political asylum.

Government sources told Ammon News that Jordan will deal with the Syrian pilot's request for asylum on the basis of the Geneva Convention.

Earlier on Thursday, a Syrian air force pilot - Colonel Hassan Mar'i Hamada - flew his MiG-21 fighter jet over the Syrian border into Jordan and landed in the King Hussein military airbase in Mafraq, 80 km northeast of Amman.

The pilot defected from a claimed military exercise at 10:30 Am on Thursday and landed the Russian-made fighter plane in Jordan shortly afterwards.

Minister of Media Affairs and Communications Samih Maaytah confirmed earlier on Thursday that the pilot requested political sanctuary in Jordan after he called for emergency landing in the airbase in Mafraq, near the Syrian border.

Shortly after Ammon News confirmed the reports, Syrian official television announced a missing MiG-21 fighter jet during a military exercise near the southern border of Syria and that Syrian military authorities lost communication with the pilot and his co-pilot.

Syrian Television reported that the fighter plane landed in King Hussein base based on the Ammon News report.