DAMASCUS, (SANA)_The Ministry of Defense said that at 10: 34 a.m. on Thursday, communication was lost with a MiG-21 aircraft flown by the pilot Colonel Hassan Mirei al-Hamada during a usual training flight.

The ministry said in a statement that the aircraft was last detected over the Syrian southern borders before communication was lost with it, adding that the warplane left the Syrian airspace and landed in Jordan.

The Ministry said that the pilot al-Hamada is a deserter and a traitor to his country and military honor, and will be punished accordingly.

The ministry said that contacts with the Jordanian sides are underway to restore the aircraft.

Earlier, an official source announced that contact was lost with an MiG-21 aircraft that was on a training flight.

The source added in a statement that the aircraft, which was piloted by Col. Hassan Mirei al-Hamadeh, was near the Syrian southern borders before contact with it was lost at around 10: 34 am.

In Amman, a Jordanian government source told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the MiG-21 warplane was forced to land in north Jordan. 

H. Said/ M. Ismael