UPDATE 2 - Iran 'accidentally' shot down Ukrainian airplane

UPDATES WITH IRGC COMMANDER'S STATEMENTS

By Burak Bir, Faruk Zorlu

ANKARA (AA) – Iran’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said Saturday that a Ukrainian aircraft was “accidentally” hit by an Iranian missile early this week that killed 176 people on board.

In a written statement, the top military authority said as a result of a "human error", the plane was accidentally shot down by the air defense system while it was passing over a "sensitive military point".

Iran was on the alert to possible U.S. threats to attack many points in Iran after launching a dozen ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. troops in Iraq, it noted.

Under these sensitive and crisis conditions, the plane approached a delicate military center of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and its height and stance seemed to be hostile, it said.

The plane in question was unintentionally targeted under these conditions, it added.

"Armed Forces’ internal investigation has concluded that regrettably missiles fired due to human error caused the horrific crash of the Ukrainian plane & death of 176 innocent people," President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran deeply regrets this disastrous mistake. My thoughts and prayers go to all the mourning families. I offer my sincerest condolences," Rouhani said.

"Our profound regrets, apologies and condolences to our people, to the families of all victims, and to other affected nations," said Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif.

"Human error at time of crisis caused by US adventurism led to disaster," he said on Twitter.

Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of IRGC’s Aerospace Division, said the elite forces take full responsibility for shooting down the plane.

Speaking at a press conference in Tehran, he said the Ukrainian plane was hit after being detected as a cruise missile by the air defense system.

"When the US announced that they will hit 52 points in Iran, the attack and defense units were in a place on 100% alert," he said. “I will accept all the responsibilities for this incident.”

He said the operators of the air defense system were informed that a cruise missile was launched towards Iran and due to the direction of the flight the plane was accidentally identified as a cruise missile.

"We will obey any decision by officials," he added.

The Fars News Agency said Friday the cause of the crash would be announced after a meeting of accident investigators, including experts from Iran and abroad.

The U.S., Britain, and Canada said Thursday they had evidence suggesting an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down the Ukraine International Airlines passenger jet.

The Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after takeoff from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini International Airport just hours after IRGC launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles targeting the U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the assassination of Qasem Soleimani, the head of the IRGC’s Quds Force, outside Baghdad International Airport in a drone strike.

The fatalities include Iranians, Canadians, Ukrainians, Swedes, Afghans, Germans and British citizens.