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F-16 Fighting Falcon News

Bahraini missing pilot rumors rejected

October 15, 2003 (by Lieven Dewitte) - Rumors that a Bahraini pilot defected to Iran are baseless, a top Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday. The same denial was highlighted on the front page of Iran's Al Wifaq newspaper in yesterday's edition.
Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas, quoting the same sources, claimed that a Bahraini Defense Force (BDF) pilot went off radar along with his F-16 plane and sought political asylum in Iran. The Bahrain News Agency immediately denied these allegations saying the jet might have crashed into the sea. Rescue efforts are continuing.