Qatar denies UAE allegations of intercepting civilian plane

DOHA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Qatar condemned the accusation by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that its fighter jets intercepted the UAE's civilian aircraft, the state-run Qatari news agency (QNA) reported on Monday.

Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) in a statement denied what was stated in the announcement of the UAE's civil aviation authority regarding intercepting the UAE's civilian aircraft and threatening air safety and security, the QNA report said.

The Qatari statement also accused UAE of manipulating the facts to inflame and mislead the international community, aiming to divert attention away from numerous military aircraft violations of Qatar airspace.

QCAA said in the statement that the reality is that the Qatari military aircraft was flying towards the northeast of Qatar.

The mission was known to the navigation services provider in Bahrain following the entry of a UAE military aircraft to Qatari waters without the prior permission of the State of Qatar.

This itinerary was close to the route of the UAE civil aircraft referred to in the statement of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority.

The statement also called on the UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain to deal with the aviation sector professionally and more responsibly away from politicization. Enditem