Ukrainian plane: History of civilian Air crafts shot down in missile attack

Iran admits shooting of Ukrainian plane during attack on US base in Iraq, here is a recap of other planes targeted in missile attack since 1970.

Iran and United States reaches on the brink of war after US killed Iranian top military commander Gen Qassem Soleimani, when he was on visit to Baghdad, capital of Iraq.

In retaliation, Iran targeted US military base in Iraq on 8^th January with Ballistic Missiles, Iran claims to kill 80 US soldier, meanwhile, US denies Iranian claim.

Iran lands into another controversy, when a Ukrainian passenger plane Boeing 737-800 crashed in Iran with 176 passengers on board. All ill-fated passengers died in the terrific incident.

Initially, Iran refused to return black box of the plane that raised controversy. Later on Saturday, Iran finally announced that the Ukrainian Aircraft was hit by Iranian missile fired during attack on US military base.

The regime said “it was done unintentionally and a human error”. They also said “we were in war scenario and we consider Ukrainian plane as US missile, the decision was taken within ten seconds.”

President of Iran Hassan Rouhani posted a statement on social media in which he expressed deep regrets for this disastrous mistake.

Advertisement

The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake.

My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences. https://t.co/4dkePxupzm

— Hassan Rouhani (@HassanRouhani) January 11, 2020

Here we recall of other planes targeted by missiles since 1970.

MH 17 – Malaysia

On July 17, 2014, Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, the plane had 298 people on board and all died in the attack.

Ilyushin II-76 – Belarus

An Ilyushin II- 76 cargo Aircraft belonging to a Belarusian airline was targeted by a rocket in Somalian Capital Moghadishu on March 23, 2007.

Eleven Belarusian engineers and technicians were killed in this attack, they all travelled to the war torn country to repair an Aircraft damaged in a missile attack, two weeks earlier.

Russian Tupolev-154 – Black Sea

On October 4, 2001, Seventy-eight passengers, mainly Israelis, were killed when their Siberia Airlines Russian Tupolev-154, flying from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk, exploded in mid-flight over the Black Sea.

The crash happened less than 300 kilometers (186 miles) from the Crimean coast.

Kyiv admitted that the disaster was due to the accidental firing of a Ukrainian missile after a week.

A-300 Airbus – Iran

Iran Air also suffered same sort of incident on July 3, 1988, when an Airbus was flying from Bandar Abbas in Iran to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The ill-fated Airbus A-300 was carrying 290 passengers on board, all were killed, including 66 children.

It was shot down in Iran’s territorial waters in the Persian Gulf shortly after takeoff by two missiles fired from a frigate, USS Vincennes of United States, patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.

US paid Iran $101.8m in compensation for the victims following a settlement at the International Court of Justice.

Boeing 747 – South Korea

A South Korean Boeing 747 of Korean Air was shot down by Soviet fighter jets over the island of Sakhalin, after veering off course on September 1, 1983.

The plane was boarding some 269 passengers and crew members, all were killed.

After five days, Soviet officials acknowledged that they had shot down the South Korean plane.

Boeing 727 – Libya

Boeing 727 of Libyan Arab Airline flying from Tripoli to Cairo was shot down by Israeli fighter jets over the Sinai desert on February 21, 1973.

All but four of the 112 people on board were killed.

The Israeli Air Force intervened after the Boeing flew over military facilities in the Sinai, then occupied by Israel.

The Israeli authorities said fighters opened fire when the plane refused to land.