Jordan confirmed Wednesday (August 8th) that Syria's defected Prime Minister Riyad Hijab is staying in Amman after crossing into the kingdom at dawn, AFP reported.

"[Hijab] crossed the border with a number of his family members […] and they were all taken to a safe place in Amman," Minister of State for Communications and Media Affairs Samih al-Maaytah told AFP.

"Hijab and members of his family entered Jordan during the early hours of Wednesday," al-Maayatah said.

On Monday, Hijab was initially reported to have fled Syria into Jordan. However, Syrian opposition member Nabegh Srour said the former premier was in hiding for the past two days under the protection of the Free Syrian Army (FSA).

"He was supposed to flee to Jordan in the immediate aftermath of his defection, but because the regime forces intensified their operations near the border, the FSA decided to keep Hijab in hiding until things calmed down," Srour told the Jordan Times in a telephone interview.