Turkish warplanes harassed by unidentified MIG-29 aircraft

ANKARA

Eight Turkish F-16 fighters jets were harassed by unidentified MIG-29 aircraft for four minutes and 30 seconds during a patrol flight on the border with Syria on Oct. 5, the Turkish General Staff has said.

In a written statement on Oct. 6, the military also said Syrian anti-aircraft batteries put Turkish jets conducting a border patrol under a radar lock for four minutes and 15 seconds on Oct. 5.

Turkey, a NATO member with its second biggest army, scrambled two F-16 jets on Oct. 3 after a Russian aircraft crossed into its airspace over its southern province of Hatay.

Russian war planes again violated Turkish airspace on Oct. 4, according to Foreign Ministry officials.