ED targeted in laser attack 

ED targeted in laser attack

STAFF WRITER

President Emmerson Mnangagwa was last week targeted by a laser attack while his plane was approaching Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.

This latest threat comes on the heels of unsolved break-ins at the president’s private residences and those of his close relatives, where nothing was stolen.

Details of Laser Attack on President Mnangagwa’s Plane

Last Friday, around 7 PM, President Mnangagwa was travelling aboard an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 from Mozambique when the pilots reported being blinded by laser-like lights as they approached the airport.

Sources indicate that the aircraft was targeted by ground-based lasers, posing a serious risk to the flight.

The authorities have launched a multi-agency investigation involving the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe, the Air Force, police, and intelligence services.

They will also seek to establish any potential links between the airport incident and the unsolved break-ins at the private homes of the president, his son David, and the offices of his nephew, Tongai Mnangagwa.

When contacted for comment, Presidential spokesman George Charamba declined to discuss the specifics of the identified threat, stating that doing so would “jeopardise investigations currently underway.”

He acknowledged that the incident has occurred at other international airports as well.

“I can confirm the incident which has affected or menaced many other airports, foremost Gatwick in England. The misdemeanour has to be nipped in the bud,” he said.

Laser strikes on aircraft, where high-powered lasers are shone at planes during takeoff or landing, are a growing concern globally, as they can distract, disorient, or even temporarily blind pilots during critical phases of flight.

While such incidents have been reported in Europe and the United States, this appears to be the first publicly disclosed incident in Zimbabwe.