- The UAE said Sunday that a Qatari fighter jet had flown "dangerously close to one of its civilian aircraft
- Qatar claims a UAE military aircraft had entered its airspace
DUBAI: Qatar denied on Monday that its military planes intercepted a civilian aircraft from the UAE the day before, state news agency QNA reported.
The QNA statement claimed that a UAE military plane had violated its air space at the time.
Qatar’s claims come a day after the UAE had said a civilian aircraft carrying 86 passengers from Saudi Arabia to Abu Dhabi had been intercepted in Bahraini airspace.
UAE state news agency WAM said Sunday that the Qatari fighter jet had come within 700 feet of the Emirati airliner, forcing the pilot to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision.
But the Qatari civil aviation authority has been quoted by the Qatar state news agency as claiming that the military planes were on a routine flight.
They claim a UAE military aircraft entered Qatari airspace “without permission” in the same area as the civilian aircraft.
Sunday’s intercept is the latest in a series of mid-air incidents since the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar amid claims it had supported Iran, as well as other Islamic militants.
Doha denies the claims.
In January Qatari fighter jets intercepted two Emirates aircraft. The UAE has since lodged a complaint with the UN about the incident.
(With AFP)