US plane intercepted to land on Soviet island

Washington: More than 200 American soldiers were in Soviet hands on a north Pacific island today after their plane was intercepted by Russian aircraft as it apparently strayed off course on a flight from the United States to Japan.

The Seaboard- World Airline DC- 8 jet, chartered by the US Military Airlift Command, was intercepted today and escorted to a landing on the Soviet island of Iturup in the Kurile chain, between Japan and Siberia, the defence department announced here.

The incident, which created a good deal of uneasiness, took place only hours before a scheduled announcement by President Johnson that the United States and the Soviet Union were ready to begin talks on limiting offensive and defensive weapons systems.

Officials wanted it to be cleared up by the time President Johnson spoke at the signing of the newly approved Nuclear NonProliferation Treaty at a White House ceremony today 21- 00 ( IST).

The plane was on a Japanese radar screen almost till its drama- filled landing on a Russian fareastern airbase under the order of a MiG interceptor this morning.

The plane’s pilot was also talking to the Tokyo international control tower as he was being escorted by his interceptor to landing on Iturup.

The United States has asked the USSR to return the US troops transport plane which landed last night on the Soviet Kurile island of Iturup.

The request was made verbally by US ambassador Llewelyn Thompson in the meeting with Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin and vice- premier for foreign affairs Vassilinkuznetsov.

Thompson told the Soviet leaders that the aircraft had lost its way.