Najaf Confirms Seized Aircraft Was Officially Bought for Furat al-Wusta University

A local official in Najaf said the aircraft seized at the Um Qasr border crossing had been formally purchased from Canada for Furat al-Wusta University and was intended for student training at the university’s aviation engineering department in the Faculty of Technical Engineering. The aircraft was valued at 350 million dinars. The plane had been held for more than five months at the border crossing at Um Qasr Port before it was seized. The official said it was meant to be used in training students. The Border Crossings Authority discharged the protective gas during the handover process, and the official warned that the procedure could cause damage to the aircraft.