Opposition leader Sultan bin Suhaim condemns Qatar intercepting UAE flights

The leader of Qatar’s opposition, Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani, has condemned Doha for sending fighter jets to intercept two UAE passenger planes which were on their route to neighboring Bahrain.

“Qatar first needs to intercept the Iranian and Israeli planes that are roaming its airspace instead of intercepting a civilian plane belonging to our brothers,” he said in his remarks on Monday via his Twitter account.

“The Qatari government spares no effort to escalate matters. When they meet, they start shouting and wailing and playing the victim's role,” he added.

The United Arab Emirates accused rival Qatar of "intercepting" a passenger plane en route to Bahrain on Monday, as Doha denied the accusation in a row over alleged airspace violations.

"The General Civil Aviation Authority received a message from a national carrier on Monday morning that an aircraft on a routine flight to Manama was intercepted by Qatari fighter jets in a flagrant and serious threat to the safety of civil aviation and a clear violation of international law," it said in a statement carried by the UAE state news agency.