Iraqi passengers attack Turkish cabin crew after emergency landing in Kuwait: report

KUWAIT

Some 15 Iraqi passengers reportedly attacked the cabin crew of a Turkish airlines flight after the pilot made an emergency landing in Kuwait’s international airport due to bad weather conditions in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

The plane was en route to Basra from Istanbul on Jan. 6 when the captain decided to land in Kuwait until weather conditions improved, the Kuwait daily Al Watan said.

The pilot later told passengers he had to fly back to Istanbul because of the worsening weather in Iraq, triggering protests by 15 Iraqi passengers.

“The captain radioed the airport security staff, who boarded the plane and calmed the Iraqis down,” the paper said.

“After the security staff left the aircraft, the Iraqis started to protest again and attacked cabin crew, prompting the captain to phone the security again. The Iraqis were later removed and taken to the airport hotel to wait for another flight to Basra.”