Mahmoud Barakat
10 March 2018•Update: 11 March 2018
By Mohamed Fahd
DOHA, Qatar
Qatar on Saturday filed a complaint with the UN Security Council regarding alleged violations of its airspace by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.
In a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the Dutch President of the UN Security Council, Karel Van Oosterom, Qatar said UAE military planes violated Qatari airspace twice in January and February, according to the official QNA news agency.
The Qatari letter said that a Bahraini military aircraft had also violated the country’s airspace on Feb. 25.
The letter described the alleged violations as “brazen” and warned that such attempts would increase tension in the region.
It called on the UN Security Council “to take all necessary measures to safeguard international peace and security”, going on to underline that it preserves the “full right to respond to any violations”.
There was no comment from the UAE or Bahrain on the Qatari complaint.
Last year, the UAE and Bahrain, along with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, severed diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
Qatar has consistently denied the allegations, accusing the four-nation bloc of infringing on its sovereignty.
