Rebels 'capture Syrian pilot'

Syrian rebels claim to have shot down a government jet and captured its pilot.

A video from them purports to show the pilot who ejected.

The authenticity of the video shown on the pan-Arab network Al-Arabiya could not be independently confirmed. But it comes amid conflicting accounts over the MiG fighter.

Rebels claim they shot down the plane over eastern Syria. The Syrian government says a plane experienced malfunctions and the pilot was forced to eject.

If the rebel claim proves true, it could mark a significant jump in their ability to combat widening air attacks from president Bashar Assad’s forces.

In the video, a man identifies himself as the pilot as he is surrounded by three armed men.

He says he has been treated well and urges officers to defect from Assad’s military.