The FINANCIAL — DUBAI. Airlines in the United Arab Emirates suspended carrying cargo from Yemen due to security reasons after an international mail bomb plot uncovered last week and the crash of a UPS cargo plane in Dubai in September, world media said, according to RIA Novosti.
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has claimed responsibility for both cases.
Emirate, the Middle East's biggest airline and Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways confirmed the cargo embargoes.
Bahrain Gulf Air also imposed restrictions on cargos form Yemen. The U.S., British, French and German governments banned accepting cargo from Yemen by sea or by air if it has no escort.
Two parcels packed with explosives were discovered last week on US-bound flights in London and Dubai. U.S. special services believe the bombs had been sent from Yemen and were intended for Chicago-based Jewish synagogues.
A number of U.S. officials previously said they were confident that al-Qaeda's Yemen branch was responsible for the plot.
The AQAP's statement also claimed the group was responsible for the September 3 crash of the Boeing 747-400 cargo plane bound from Dubai to Cologne.
The plane crashed near an air force base in Dubai soon after pilots reported a fire on the plane's main cargo deck. Investigators have said there is no evidence that the crash was caused by a bomb.
Discussion about this post