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Qatar fighter jets intercept UAE passenger flight in international airspace, claims Emirati authorities | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Qatari fighter jets have intercepted a civilian airliner flying in international airspace on its way to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates has said. | |
The incident affected a UAE flag carrier en route to the Bahrani capital, the country’s civil aviation authorities were quoted as saying. | The incident affected a UAE flag carrier en route to the Bahrani capital, the country’s civil aviation authorities were quoted as saying. |
Emirates and Etihad - two of the world’s largest airlines, which are based in UAE – did not respond to requests from The Independent for comment. | |
The claim, published by UAE state-run news agency WAM, follows two complaints by Qatar to the United Nations about Emirati military aircraft allegedly violating its airspace. | |
UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) received “a message from one of the UAE’s national carriers on Monday morning that one of its aircraft on a flight to Manama on a normal route had been intercepted by Qatari fighters”, WAM reported. | UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) received “a message from one of the UAE’s national carriers on Monday morning that one of its aircraft on a flight to Manama on a normal route had been intercepted by Qatari fighters”, WAM reported. |
GCAA described the incident as dangerous and a violation of international laws. | GCAA described the incident as dangerous and a violation of international laws. |
A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the claims were “completely false”. | A spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the claims were “completely false”. |
It comes amid a blockade against Qatar by UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. | It comes amid a blockade against Qatar by UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. |
The crisis began on 5 June when Doha’s land, sea and air routes were cut off over its alleged support of extremists and close ties with Iran. | The crisis began on 5 June when Doha’s land, sea and air routes were cut off over its alleged support of extremists and close ties with Iran. |
Qatar has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that made the country and its roughly 250,000 citizens extremely wealthy. |