Turkey grounds Syria-bound plane from Armenia
A plane headed from Armenia to Syria was grounded Monday at an airport in Turkey, less than a week after the country intercepted another Syria-bound plane.
The plane, described as being on a civilian humanitarian aid mission, was grounded in the eastern province of Erzurum in order for its cargo to be examined, according to Turkey’s official Anadolu news agency.
It was headed to the besieged city of Aleppo, which has been the site of clashes between rebels and government forces since July and a regular target of government helicopters and fighter jets, leaving many parts of the city destroyed.
Turkish authorities will examine part of the plane’s cargo and if it does not violate civilian aviation rules, the aircraft will be allowed to continue to Aleppo, the news agency reported.
-- L.A. Times staff in Beirut and Ramin Mostaghim in Tehran