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Japanese military aircraft refuels at Calcutta airport

Six Islamabad-bound Japanese military planes carrying relief material for Afghan refugees stopped on Monday for refuelling amidst protests by an anti-war Communist group.

Airport authorities said the last of the six green-and-grey coloured C-130 Hercules aircraft touched down at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at about 10.45 am.

Refuelling was carried out smoothly amid tight security arrangements.

Japanese authorities last week told the Indian government the planes would carry relief material for Afghan refugees in Pakistan. C-130 Hercules planes are usually used to transport military equipment and paratroopers by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

After refuelling, the aircraft would leave for Delhi en route to Islamabad.

Airport director Roshanlal described the stopover as a 'technical halt'. He said operations of the scheduled flights remained unaffected by the arrival of the military planes, which started coming in at around 9.35 am.

The kind of humanitarian aid the Japanese planes are carrying could not be known. No Indian official was allowed into the aircraft.

The planes were given 'VIP treatment' and security agencies cordoned off the areas where the aircraft landed. A small group of anti-war agitators belonging to the Communist Party of India - Marxist-Leninist, alleging that the planes were carrying 'war material', demonstrated near the airport.

Security had been stepped up following threats of agitation by Muslims if the US attacked Afghanistan.

Indo-Asian News Service

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