Qatar has announced that its air force “successfully shot down” two Iranian fighter planes as well as seven ballistic missiles and five drones that entered its airspace.
Qatari authorities said the jets are Russian-made SU24 fighter jets.
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“The threat was addressed immediately upon detection, in accordance with the operational plan, as all missiles were shot down before reaching their targets,” Qatar’s defence ministry said in a statement.
So far, six people have been killed and dozens injured from Iranian strikes on the Gulf country.
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The strikes have caused QatarEnergy, one of the world’s largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporters, to suspend production.
AFP reported that two of QatarEnergy’s sites had been hit by Iranian drones.
QatarEnergy is a major supplier of LNG to Europe whose natural gas prices jumped over 50 per cent while oil prices rose almost 9 per cent.
Qatar and other Gulf states had vowed to defend their territories from Iranian strikes after Iran continued to target US interests in the region.
Apart from Qatar, other Middle Eastern countries targeted by Iran include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Oman.
At least four American soldiers have been killed in such strikes while three American fighter jets were also brought down in Kuwait, which the US blamed on “friendly fire.”
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Iran has said it is only targeting American bases and interests in those countries as a retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on its territory.
The US and Israeli attacks have led to over 550 deaths in Iran, including Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other military leaders.
Over 10 Israelis have been killed in Iranian retaliatory strikes in Israel.
The war started on Saturday when the US and Israel launched unprovoked attacks on Iran.
