Ammon News - By ٍShaherah Khatatbeh

AMMONNEWS - The British embassy in Amman on Saturday denied reports about it's request of Jordan to deliver the Syrian defected pilot to the UK, who was granted political asylum on Thursday.


The Embassy spokesperson, Rana Najim told Ammon News over the phone, that the reports are "Baseless and untrue" and the British government did not discuss the issue with the Jordanian counterparts.

Najim indicated that UK government welcomed Jordan decision to grant the pilot asylum.

On the other hand, the spokesperson told Ammon News that UK also did not exercise any pressure on Jordan to prevent it from sending back the military aircraft.

Hezbollah's Manar TV reported on Saturday that the British government requested Jordan to deliver the pilot.

On last 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.




* Photo of the Defected Pilot