Israel Shoots Down Lebanese Civilian Plane-- Lebanese Transport Minister Najib Mikati on Thursday confirmed that a Lebanese civilian plane was shot down by the Israeli air force over the Israeli territory earlier in the day, the NBN television reported.Mikati told a press conference that the Cessna training plane took off from Beirut airport at 10:45 local time (0745 GMT) Thursday morning. "The 43-year-old learner navigated the plane alone and headed to the south without our permission," he said. The radar of Beirut airport tracked the plane and found it entering the Israeli airspace at 11:20 (0820 GMT) when the pilot cut off radio communication. The plane received alarm from Israeli warplanes but did not respond. Two Israeli helicopters fired missiles and shot down the plane when it was hovering over a coast town between the northern port city Haifa and Tel Aviv. There is no report on the fate of the pilot, who had just spent two weeks in learning flying. |
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