Qatar strongly condemns Iranian missile attack on airbase

DOHA, June 23 (KUNA) -- Qatar condemned, in the strongest terms, the Iranian missile attack on Al-Udeid airbase, billing it a serious breach of Qatar's sovereignty, and good neighborliness, and infringement upon international legitimacy and law.
Speaking at a press conference, Spokesman for the Qatari Foreign Ministry and Advisor to the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Majed Al-Ansari said Qatar reserves the right to respond in a way that aligns with international laws and with the form and size of the attack.
He affirmed that the Qatari Armed Forces had successfully intercepted the Iranian missile attack and that no losses were recorded.
However, he underlined that the continued regional escalation would only undermine regional and international security and stability.
In this regard, he stressed that all parties and even regional countries have no option but to return to peaceful means and negotiations in pursuit of peace for all peoples.
He noted that this attack was so surprising that it came amid Qatar's commitment to good neighborliness and mediation efforts to resolve crises.
For his part, Deputy Chief of the Qatari Army General Staff for Joint Operations Maj. Gen. Shayeq Al-Hajri said that in the aftermath of Iranian-Israeli escalation, the Ministry of Defense had boosted its preparedness for dealing with relevant ramifications.
He added that after the US had bombed Iranian nuclear facilities and Iranian threats of response, the Qatari Armed Forces activated all its plans to secure the country's airspace and territorial water.
He expounded that 12 missiles were fired on the Al-Udeid airbase, 11 of them were knocked down, while only one hit the facility, but there were no losses. (end) sss.mt