Alwaght- Qatar has rejected claims that its military planes had intercepted a civilian aircraft belonging to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Qatar Civil Aviation Authority (QCAA) condemned the statement by the UAE Civil Aviation Authority, accusing the State of Qatar of threatening air safety and security. The QCAA reiterated that Qatar is committed to the highest quality standards in maintaining civil aviation safety and security.
In a statement, the QCAA said the United Arab Emirates has unfortunately been manipulating the facts to inflame and mislead the international community. The latest statement is proof of this, it said, adding the reality is that the Qatari military aircraft was flying towards the north-east of Qatar on a mission known to the navigation services provider in the Kingdom of Bahrain following the entry of a UAE military aircraft to Qatari waters without the prior permission of the State of Qatar and in the itinerary close to the route of the UAE civil aircraft referred to in the statement of the UAE Civil Aviation Authority.
The statement said that this is not the first time that the UAE deliberately send military aircraft to pass through the airspace in conjunction with the passage of UAE civil aircraft without permission from the relevant authorities in Qatar, despite repeated calls to the provider of navigation services in Bahrain to coordinate in this regard, which is an irresponsible act by the UAE and Bahrain.
The current tensions between the two Persian Gulf states come amid a worsening dispute which began in June 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade, after accusing Doha of supporting "terrorism". Qatar continues to vehemently reject the allegations as "baseless".
On June 22, the block, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera TV, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade.
Qatar rejected all the demands, denouncing them as attempts to violate its sovereignty.
