TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -Two indonesian fighter jets intercepted a Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) military transport plane breaching Indonesian air territory in Natuna Island.
As quoted from www.nst.com.my on Monday, June 27, 2016, the C130 aircraft was flying from Subang west Malaysia towards the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.
Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein confirmed the incident and said that he was still waiting for the complete report.
Hishammuddin said that was not too concerned with the interception incident since a foreign planes breaching an air territory is a common incident in the world. In addition, Hishammuddin said that Indonesia-Malaysia has been enjoying close relations.
"I'm not worried as this is normal and it happens everywhere in the world. If there were any incidents between us, we can deal with each other diplomatically. We will not let any incident ruin our ties," Hishammuddin said as quoted by The New Strait Times on June 26, 2016.
Indonesian Air Force’s spokesperson Air Marshal Wiko Sofyan explained that a Malaysian aircraft had passed an Indonesian territory without a clearance on Saturday, June 25, 2016. Later on the same day, two Indonesian Air Force’s F16 under the National Air Defense Command (Kohanudnas) intercepted the aircraft from Indonesian air territory.
"The C130 came from west towards the east. Kohanudnas warned and intercepted [the aircraft],” Wiko told Tempo on Monday, June 27, 2016.
NEW STRAITS TIMES ONLINE | MAHARDIKA | MARIA RITA
