Syrian Passenger Plane Carried Weapons From Russia
[/media-credit]A Syrian-bound passenger plane intercepted by Turkey was carrying Russian-made munitions destined for Syria’s defence ministry, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
“This was munitions from the Russian equivalent of our Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation being sent to the Syrian Defence Ministry,” Erdogan told a news conference on Thursday.
“Their examination is continuing and the necessary will follow,” he added.
Turkish jets forced the plane, en route from Moscow to Damascus, to land in Ankara.
Meanwhile, a large bomb exploded in an area housing security and army compounds west of Umayyad Square in the centre of the Syrian capital, according to activisits. There was no confirmation of any casualties.
‘Air piracy’
Damascus said the plane had been carrying legitimate cargo and described Turkey’s actions as an act of “air piracy”, while Moscow accused Ankara of endangering the lives of Russian passengers when it intercepted the jet late on Wednesday.
The grounding of the plane was another sign of Ankara’s growing assertiveness towards the crisis in Syria.
Turkey’s chief of staff warned on Wednesday his troops would respond “with greater force” if shells from Syria continued to hit Turkish territory.
A spokesperson for Moscow’s Vnukovo airport told state news agency Itar-Tass everything put on the plane had cleared customs and security checks and no prohibited items were on board.
Asked about Erdogan’s statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry declined further comment.
Read the rest at Al Jazeera
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