LOC21:08
18:08 GMT
BAGHDAD, Jan 27 (KUNA) -- A shooting at a UAE airplane in Baghdad International Airport was "accidental," and security authorities beefed up security measures to prevent such incidents, Minister of Transport said Tuesday.
"The incident was accidental and nothing major happened except a child who had some scratches," Baqer Al-Zubaidi told a news conference at the airport, "and the pilot did not feel anything but after landing."
Gunshots were fired and hit Flydubai's flight FZ215 yesterday, triggering other UAE airlines: Emirates Airlines, Sharjah's Air Arabia and Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways to suspend flights to Baghdad, in line with a directive from United Arab Emirates' civil aviation authority.
Al-Zubaidi said security forces and the civil aviation authority were investigating the attack to determine the source of shooting.
He said air traffic was not affected, and that Iraqi airways would be airlifting all passengers who were supposed to travel on other airlines that suspended their flights.
The UAE's Foreign Ministry today summoned the Iraqi Ambassador in Abu Dhabi Muwafaq Mahadi to protest the shooting. (end)
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