Italian jetfighter scrambles to deal with security risk

AN Italian F16 jet fighter intercepted a suspicious plane heading to Rome yesterday, hours after the pope’s funeral and escorted it to a military airport.

The plane was forced to land at the airport at 3.20pm after intelligence sources warned it was carrying a bomb, an airforce spokesman said.

However, a team of paramilitary carabinieri officers inspected it and found nothing. He said the plane was cleared to leave the military airport and land at Rome’s Ciampino airport, which was closed for routine civilian traffic because of the funeral.