BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 16. Qatari authorities
have rejected Iran's claims that the pilots of military aircraft
that violated the emirate's airspace in March were taken
prisoner.
The statement was made by Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson
Majed Al-Ansari.
According to him, Doha considers such claims unfounded and
expressed surprise that they were made amid ongoing diplomatic
efforts to reduce tensions in the region.
Al-Ansari said the aircraft crews had been warned in advance
that they were violating Qatar's airspace. After following the
established rules of engagement and making unsuccessful attempts to
establish contact with them, Qatari authorities took the necessary
measures to protect the country's territory in accordance with
international law.
He also said search and rescue teams had recovered the remains
of one of the pilots. According to Al-Ansari, Doha contacted Tehran
to coordinate the return of the body in line with international
humanitarian law and invited an Iranian delegation as early as
April to review the details of the search operation. However, he
noted that the Iranian side has yet to respond to the
invitation.
