KATHMANDU: India on Saturday refused to allow an aircraft carrying a controversial arms shipment from Belgium to Nepal to fly through its airspace.

The plane was carrying part of a consignment of 5,500 machineguns bought from Belgium earlier this year.

“An aircraft carrying the first consignment of 2,800 units of arms imported from Belgium was restricted from flying through Indian airspace on Saturday afternoon, forcing it to divert to Kazakhstan,” the private Kathmandu FM radio station said.—AFP