Italy extends flight ban over Rome till January 6

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, December 31, 2003

Italy extends flight ban over Rome till January 6

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The Italian authorities Tuesday prolonged a ban till the January 6 Epiphany holiday on all flights over Rome as a precaution against possible air attacks on the capital and the Vatican during New Year holiday period.

Originally the alert began on Christmas Eve and was scheduled to end on December 29.

Security around the Vatican was raised after the Sept. 11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and hasheightened since then during Christmas and New Year's holidays.

Intelligence reports of a possible air attack on the center of Catholicism this Christmas have led authorities to ban all flightscoming within a five-mile radius of the capital.

Small aircraft without instrumentation have also been prohibited from taking off from Rome airfields Ciampino and other airfields around the capital.

Italian air force jets are on standby to intercept intruders, and helicopters are in "slow mover interceptor" mode in the eventof attack by small aircraft, the sources said.

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