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Chinese military sends 19 aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence zone
- PLA deploy fighters, bombers and anti-submarine plane on latest in series of such missions
- Unclear what prompted the activity, which comes more than two months after the last such large-scale sortie
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Taiwan’s air force scrambled on Sunday in response to renewed mainland Chinese military activity, with its defence ministry reporting that 19 aircraft including nuclear-capable bombers had flown into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone.
Taiwan has complained for a year or more of repeated missions by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force near the self-ruled island, often in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Island.
The latest PLA mission involved 10 J-16 and four Su-30 fighters, as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and an anti-submarine aircraft, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
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Taiwanese combat aircraft were sent to warn away the PLA aircraft, while missile systems were deployed to monitor them, the ministry said.
The PLA aircraft flew in an area closer to the mainland than the Taiwanese coast, roughly northeast of Pratas Island, according to a map provided by the ministry.
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There was no immediate comment from Beijing.
01:10
Taiwan says it will forcefully expel Chinese jets next time they cross Taiwan Strait median line
Taiwan says it will forcefully expel Chinese jets next time they cross Taiwan Strait median line
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