UAE says Qatari fighter jets intercepted civilian flight
 

DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that Qatari fighter jets intercepted an Emirati civilian aircraft during a routine flight to Bahrain, which Qatar denied, escalating a months-old feud between the Gulf Arab states.
The UAE Civil Aviation authority condemned the alleged incident and said it would take "all necessary legal measures to ensure the safety and security of civil air traffic. "Sheikh Saif Bin Ahmed al-Thani, the director of Qatar?s government communications office, said on his official Twitter account that the charge was "completely untrue".
The UAE is one of four Arab countries, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, that imposed travel, diplomatic and trade sanctions on Qatar in June 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
Qatar has denied the charges. On Friday, Qatar filed a complaint with the United Nations about an alleged violation of its airspace in December by an Emirati military aircraft. Qatari authorities said the violation on Dec 21, which the UAE denied, lasted one minute.
The authority later said a second Emirati passenger plane bound for Bahrain was also intercepted by Qatari fighter jets. It said the second plane was intercepted "during its descent towards Bahrain International Airport", adding that it was also on a routine pre-scheduled flight. A spokeswoman for Qatar?s foreign ministry denied the first incident had occurred.
"The state of Qatar announces that the claims of Qatari fighter planes intercepting a UAE civil aircraft (are) completely false," Lulwa al-Khater said on Twitter. Four UAE-based airlines -- Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia -- operate flights to Bahrain.
Spokespersons for the airlines contacted by AFP could not immediately confirm or deny the news. Monday?s allegations came after Qatar accused UAE fighter jets of violating its airspace in December and January.Qatar is located in the Gulf, between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates and across the Gulf waters from Iran. Tensions have escalated in the Gulf since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut all ties with Qatar in June, accusing Doha of supporting Islamist extremists and being too close to Saudi Arabia?s arch-rival, Iran. They have banned all flights to and from Doha and cut off most trade links. Qatar denies the allegations, arguing the bloc aims to incite regime change in Doha.

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