Algeria said Wednesday it has closed its airspace to all Moroccan civil and military aircraft, amid heightened tensions between the two North African countries in recent months.
“The High Security Council has decided to shut its airspace immediately to all civilian and military aircraft as well as to those registered in Morocco," a statement by the presidency said.
The decision to close Algeria's airspace was announced after a meeting of the High Security Council chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
A source at the Royal Moroccan Airlines said Algeria’s closure of airspace to Moroccan aircraft from Wednesday would only affect 15 flights weekly linking Morocco with Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt.
On August 24, Algeria had severed diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing Rabat of carrying out incessant hostile acts, claiming it was complicit in deadly forest fires that ravaged the country's north.
In response, Rabat said it regrets Algeria's "completely unjustified" decision to break off diplomatic relations.
