Iranian plane third to have illegally entered Yemeni airspace - coalition

RIYADH, April 28 (KUNA) -- The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman Brig Ahmad Asiri said an Iranian humanitarian plane that illegally entered Yemeni airspace is the third to have done so since airstrikes began in Yemen with the other two having retreated after being warned not to do so.
In a TV interview published by Saudi Press Agency, Asiri said that the aircraft had failed to comply with a timeslot designated to it by the coalition, instead requesting to land in Sanaa two hours late.
According to adopted procedure whereby planes are inspected in order to make sure they are not carrying any weapons for Houthi militias, the plane had been told to land at Saudi Arabia's southwestern Bisha Airport, said Asiri.
After being requested to do so, the pilot refused and insisted to land at Sanaa. The control towers of the airports of Sanaa, Muscat and Jeddah all made contact with the aircraft to inform the pilot that this was unacceptable.
Regardless, the plane kept on course to Sanaa in spite of the coalition sending fighter jets to hinder the aircraft's advances, which also made calls to the pilot which fell on deaf ears. The fighters were then forced to destroy Sanaa's runway, added the officer.
Upon being warned not to land at the damaged runway the pilot took the aircraft back through its entry route from Omani airspace.
He added that the Yemeni government itself had called for these procedures through forming a no-fly zone administered by the coalition.
These same procedures were carried out on two aircraft belonging to Medecins Sans Frontieres and the International Organisation for Migration both of which complied to the fullest, he said, but "what the Iranian plane did shows it had something it did not want inspectors to see at Bisha Airport." He also described the pilot's actions as "irresponsible", which led to the runway being damaged and thus, humanitarian operations being postponed until the runway is fixed.
The coalition will carry out its duties "rigorously", he said, and will not allow a living being to breach these conditions. (end) od.sd