Qatar claims UAE violated its airspace, again

CAIRO – 14 January 2018: A second alleged United Arab Emirates military jet had violated Qatar’s airspace on January 3, Qatar said on Friday night.

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.

The UAE’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Anwar Gargash denied the first accusation. “We are working to respond to it officially with evidence,” Gargash stated.

On June 5, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Qatar over accusations of sponsoring terrorist groups; an accusation which Qatar denies.