MiG 21 jet lands at Mafraq military airport as state TV says contact has been lost with a plane.

Syrian MiG 21 jet lands at Jordan's Mafraq military airport as state TV says contact has been lost with a plane.

Sources said the plane was piloted by Colonel Hassan Mari Hamada and was near the southern border of Syria when it lost contact at 10.34 am local time.

Jordanian media reported it as an emergency landing while Syrian activists said the pilot has defected.

BBC reported:

The pilot has asked for political asylum, officials in Amman say.

The plane landed at the King Hussein air base in Mafraq in the north of Jordan, officials there said.

In other developments, reports in the British media say the UK and US could grant Syrian President Bashar al-Assad clemency if he joins peace talks.

The move was discussed on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Mexico, the Guardian newspaper reported.

www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/21/assad-clemency-syria-peace-talks

Homs shelling stalls evacuation

Continued shelling in the Syrian city of Homs is stopping Red Cross teams from evacuating scores of civilians.

Government forces and rebel fighters agreed on Wednesday to a two-hour ceasefire to allow aid workers into the worst affected areas.

However, correspondents say it may be hours or days before they can enter.

Source: Aljazeera