Iraqi aviation authorities were left stunned after a 10-year-old boy boarded an Iran-bound plane on his own from a busy airport in a Shiite shrine city following several security checks.

The international airport in Najaf, south of Baghdad, announced Wednesday that it would review security after the boy slipped through seven checks and mixed in with large crowds of travelers.

The child was only intercepted after boarding an Iran Air-chartered aircraft, airport manager Hikmat Ahmed told AFP.

About five hours after his arrival at the airport on Monday night, “the plane crew contacted us about him”, he said.

“Anyone who failed in their duties will be sanctioned, fired or transferred” after an investigation, the official said.

According to a security source, his parents who live in a district near the airport had informed police of his disappearance.

According to Iraq’s civil aviation authority, a private firm has been in charge of security at Najaf airport, which receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims each year, since 2019.

“All legal procedures” would be taken against the company once the investigation has been completed, it said.