MIDDLE EAST: TURKEY BLOCKS PLANES SUSPECTED OF CARRYING HEZBOLLAH WEAPONS
Tel Aviv, 21 August (AKI) - Turkish authorities have blocked five Iranian planes and one Syrian aircraft which they suspect may have been transporting weapons to Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, an Israeli newspaper reported on Monday. Citing Turkish media reports, Tel Aviv daily, Haaretz said that Turkish authorities forced one of the aircraft, apparently belonging to a private Iranian airline, to land at Diyarbakir airport in eastern Turkey.
Turkish authorities decided to grounds the planes after being tipped off by American intelligence reports indicating that they were carrying three missile launchers and containers with Chinese-made C-802 land-to-sea missiles - identical to the missile that hit an Israel Navy battleship in July.
According to reports, the aircraft entered Turkish airspace after being prevented from flying over Iraq.
The Intelligence Summit previously reported this incident on August 17, 2006 http://intelligence-summit.blogspot.com/2006/08/iranian-plane-with-irgc-onboard-forced.html
Turkish authorities decided to grounds the planes after being tipped off by American intelligence reports indicating that they were carrying three missile launchers and containers with Chinese-made C-802 land-to-sea missiles - identical to the missile that hit an Israel Navy battleship in July.
According to reports, the aircraft entered Turkish airspace after being prevented from flying over Iraq.
The Intelligence Summit previously reported this incident on August 17, 2006 http://intelligence-summit.blogspot.com/2006/08/iranian-plane-with-irgc-onboard-forced.html
posted by Marko at 8/21/2006 07:49:00 AM
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