Qatar intercepts Emirati civil aircrafts twice on Monday

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Mon, 15 Jan 2018 - 01:45 GMT

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Mon, 15 Jan 2018 - 01:45 GMT

A Qatar Emiri Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet- Reuters/ File Photo

A Qatar Emiri Air Force Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jet- Reuters/ File Photo

CAIRO – 15 January 2018: For the second time in one day, Qatari fighter jets have intercepted civil aircrafts flying on their normal routs from the UAE to Bahrain, which Doha denied.

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that Qatari fighter jets have intercepted two civil aircrafts during their regular flights to Bahrain, while Qatar insisted on denying the news, escalating a seven-month-old feud between the Gulf Arab states.

According to Emirati media, Qatari fighters intercepted Emirati carrier aircrafts during their regular flights to Manama, the capital of Bahrain.

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) described the incident as a flagrant threat to civil aviation safety and a violation to international laws and agreements.

“The flight was a routine scheduled flight, and its route is well known and complies with international norms concerning approvals and permits,” according to the statement released by GCAA after the first Emirati aircraft was intercepted by the Qatari military jets.

The Emirati authority has stressed that it refuses this threat to the safety of its flights and will take the necessary legal measures to guarantee the safety and security of its civil aviation.

On Friday, Qatar claimed that a second alleged United Arab Emirates military jet had violated Qatar’s airspace on January 3.

Alya Al-Thani, permanent representative of Qatar to the United Nations handed a second complaint to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), saying an Emirati fighter jet (DHC-6) had flown over Qatar.

The jet was travelling from the UAE to Bahrain and flew over Qatar’s special economic zone, without prior authorization, according to Thani.

Qatar had previously filed a complaint to the UNSC in December, 2017, about an alleged violation of its airspace by an Emirati military aircraft, state news agency QNA reported.

Qatar's Director of Government Communications Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al-Thani denied on his official Twitter account that "Qatari fighter jets intercepted an Emirati civilian aircraft."

Saif described the incident as "completely untrue," and announced that Qatari authorities will issue an official statement to respond to the Emirati "claims", as he described.

Bahraini Foreign Ministry condemned the Qatari fighter jets' interception to the UAE civil aircrafts, adding, " It is a clear violation of the relevant international conventions and laws, in particular those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the provisions of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and its amendments of 1944."

"This rejected hostile behavior by Qatar against civil aircrafts has become frequent in recent times and jeopardizes the safety of civil aviation and poses a threat to the lives of civilians," Bahraini foreign minister added in a statement.





In June, 2017, four Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates, cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and extremist groups, which Qatar has denied many times.

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