Damascus, Jun 21 (AFP) A Syrian pilot was granted political asylum after landing his MiG fighter jet in neighbouring Jordan today, in the first such defection of a revolt a watchdog says has killed more than 15,000 people. The blow to President Bashar al-Assad\'s regime from inside one of the most privileged arms of the security forces came as human rights monitors reported 119 people dead in one of the bloodiest days of the 15-month uprising. "The council of ministers has decided to grant the pilot, Colonel Hassan Merei al-Hamade, political asylum," Jordanian Information Minister Samih Maaytah told AFP after a government official said the Russian MiG-21 had made an emergency landing at a base in Mafraq near the border. Syrian state television said the plane was near the border when contact was lost at 0734 GMT (0104 IST), and Jordan said it crossed the frontier minutes later. The opposition Syrian National Council said: "The plane took off at high speed and flew at low altitude from a military base between Daraa and Sweida in the south of the country... to avoid detection by radar." "The pilot is from Deir Ezzor (in eastern Syria) and his family is known for its opposition" to Assad\'s regime, spokesman George Sabra added. The Syrian defence ministry denounced Hamade. "The pilot is considered a deserter and a traitor to his country, and to his military honour, and he will be sanctioned under military rules," said a ministry statement carried by state television. "Relevant contacts have been made with the authorities in Jordan in order to recover the jet on which the traitor pilot made his getaway." Washington welcomed the defection. "This is how these things start," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. "It is obviously a significant moment when a guy takes a USD 25 million plane and flies it to another country." Nuland spoke after National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor called the defection "just one of countless instances where Syrians, including members of the security forces, have rejected the horrific actions of the Assad regime, and certainly it will not be the last." (AFP)