A bullet hit the fuselage of a flydubai airliner on its descent into Baghdad, lightly wounding a young girl and prompting many carriers Tuesday to suspend their flights, officials said.
"There was no consequence other than a slight injury to a young girl. The pilot landed and he was not aware of what had happened," Transport Minister Baqr Jabr al-Zubaidi told reporters at the airport.
Flight FZ215 was hit by "small arms fire" before landing on Monday but all passengers disembarked safely, a flydubai spokesperson told AFP.
The no-frills carrier, a sister firm of Emirates, said it was working with Iraqi authorities to investigate the incident, adding that it would continue to fly to its other destinations in Iraq.
Other UAE carriers, including Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia, suspended their flights to Baghdad, as did Turkish Airlines and Lebanon's Middle East Airlines (MEA).
"Emirates has suspended its services to Baghdad until further notice due to operational reasons," the Dubai-based carrier said.
The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it had "suspended all flights to the Iraqi city with immediate effect and until further notice."
The website of Sharjah-based budget carrier Air Arabia also showed that flights to Baghdad were not available.
MEA chief executive Mohammad al-Hout said Tuesday's Beirut-Baghdad service had been cancelled, although the airline's flights to other Iraqi cities were continuing as normal.
"As far as tomorrow's (flight) is concerned, we are waiting to assess the situation and see what steps are going to be taken before deciding," he told AFP.
A Turkish Airlines official told AFP its Tuesday flights to Baghdad had been cancelled for "operational reasons," and Royal Jordanian said it was suspending its flights until the situation cleared up.
"What happened was an accident. Brothers from the security forces met the leaders of civil aviation and discussed the source of the shot that hit an Emirati aircraft," the Iraqi minister said.
He said his ministry would provide flights with national carrier Iraqi Airways to all passengers stranded in airports in the region.
Zubaidi then embarked on an aircraft for a short flight around Baghdad meant to show there was no security threat.
He said 19 flights departed Baghdad airport on Tuesday, adding that more were scheduled for the rest of the day and that a Turkish Airlines flight was due to land on Wednesday.
Western airlines flying over Iraq have taken extra precautions in recent months for fear that jihadists of the Islamic State group might acquire weapons able to hit cruising airliners.
Baghdad International Airport is located west of the capital, near the border with Anbar province, which is largely controlled by IS fighters.
AFP
Tue Jan 27 2015
A bullet hit the fuselage of a flydubai airliner on its descent into Baghdad, lightly wounding a young girl.
[TERKINI] Sidang Media Perdana Menteri di Riyadh, Arab Saudi
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengadakan sidang media susulan lawatan kerja rasmi ke Mesyuarat Khas WEF 2024 di Riyadh Arab Saudi.
KDN muktamad pembelian empat helikopter untuk APMM bernilai RM600 juta
Kertas kerja bagi perolehan aset itu sudah diserahkan kepada Kementerian Kewangan untuk keputusan akhir.
Tulis ancaman bom atas bungkusan, pekerja stor didenda RM3,000
Muhammad Rozali Rahim, 23, membuat pengakuan itu ketika pertuduhan terhadapnya dibacakan di hadapan Majistret Muhammad Bukhori Md Ruslan.
Kempen PRK KKB lancar setakat ini - Polis Selangor
Kempen PRK DUN KKB yang memasuki hari ketiga hari ini berjalan lancar dan tiada sebarang insiden tidak diingini dilaporkan setakat ini.
Buletin AWANI Khas: Asia Barat sedang ‘Stress’: Dialog menteri-menteri dunia Arab
Situasi meruncing di Gaza, konflik Iran-Israel dan ditambah pula persaingan kuat dua kuasa, Amerika Syarikat dan China dilihat terus membayangi percaturan geopolitik dan geoekonomi negara-negara Islam di Asia Barat. Beberapa Menteri Luar negara-negara Arab duduk sepentas di Mesyuarat Khas WEF, Riyadh dalam sesi ini.
#SpecialMeeting24
#SpecialMeeting24
AWANI Ringkas: Projek NTC | Sindiket Dadah
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Kilang cat terbakar, dua sekolah di Meru diarah ditutup
Penutupan dua buah sekolah terlibat iaitu SK Meru dan Sekolah Rendah Agama Meru 2 itu dibuat atas faktor keselamatan.
AWANI 7:45 [29/04/2024] – Meja bulat bersama 50 pemimpin industri dunia | Penggunaan komersial capai 80 peratus
PM yakin Malaysia jadi destinasi pelabur bernilai tinggi.
Kerajaan perkenal program solar untuk pengguna komersial.
Kelas Terapung dilaksana kawasan penduduk kepadatan tinggi.
Laporan Bank Dunia dedah hanya 58 peratus pelajar mahir membaca menjelang akhir darjah 5.
Kerajaan perkenal program solar untuk pengguna komersial.
Kelas Terapung dilaksana kawasan penduduk kepadatan tinggi.
Laporan Bank Dunia dedah hanya 58 peratus pelajar mahir membaca menjelang akhir darjah 5.
Malaysia perlu berani menentang Denmark
Hanya kemenangan menentang Denmark, kuasa besar badminton dunia, dalam aksi penting Kumpulan D Piala Thomas 2024 esok akan membawa Malaysia mendahului carta kedudukan.
Polis tembak kereta mewah bawa dadah lebih RM100,000
Polis terpaksa melepaskan tembakan bagi mengawal keadaan selepas pemandu kenderaan terbabit bertindak agresif dan cuba merempuh anggota polis .
Ribuan penduduk Baghdad berhimpun tunjuk sokongan kepada Palestin
Demonstrasi itu diketuai pemimpin Syiah yang berpengaruh, Muqtada al-Sadr.
Lapangan Terbang Baghdad terus saksikan serangan roket
Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Baghdad terus menyaksikan serangan menggunakan roket pada Rabu, menurut seorang anggota keselamatan tempatan.
PM Iraq Al-Khadimi terselamat dalam serangan dron
Perdana Menteri Iraq Mustafa al-Kadhimi terselamat daripada cubaan membunuhnya selepas kediaman rasminya menjadi sasaran serangan dron pada Ahad.
35 terbunuh dalam letupan di pasar Baghdad ketika persiapan menjelang Aidiladha
Letupan berlaku di sebuah pasar ketika penduduk sibuk membuat persiapan akhir untuk menyambut hari raya Aidiladha, kata Kementerian Dalam Negeri Iraq dalam satu kenyataan.
Tunjuk perasaan di Baghdad kecam tindakan Israel
Rata-rata yang berkumpul membakar bendera Israel di Tahrir Square sambil mengibar bendera Palestin.
Hospital di Baghdad terbakar, sekurang-kurangnya 82 maut
Kebakaran di Hospital Ibn al-Khatib itu dikatakan bermula selepas tangki oksigen meletup.
Seorang maut, enam cedera serangan roket di kem tentera AS di Erbil, Iraq
Kementerian Dalam Negeri wilayah itu menyatakan beberapa roket ditembak pada 9.30 malam waktu tempatan di beberapa kawasan di Erbil, mencederakan beberapa orang awam.
Tindakan AS tingkatkan keupayaan tentera di Timur Tengah cetus tanda tanya
Amerika Syarikat (AS) mengumumkan telah menggerakkan kapal pengangkut perang USS Nimitz kembali ke Timur Tengah pada Jumaat.
Iraq, Arab Saudi buka semula sempadan utama selepas tiga dekad ditutup
Iraq dan Arab Saudi pada Rabu membuka semula sempadan utama untuk perdagangan antara kedua negara selepas tiga dekad penutupannya.
Lima terbunuh, dua cedera parah dalam serangan peluru berpandu di Iraq
Sekurang-kurangnya lima terbunuh manakala dua lagi cedera parah selepas serangan peluru berpandu Katyusha dilancarkan berhampiran lapangan terbang Baghdad, Iraq pada Isnin.