Qatari diplomat arrested aboard a plane; no explosives found

American sky marshals acted to subdue and detain a Qatari diplomat after he sparked a bomb scare,apparently trying to sneak a smoke on a flight to Denver,officials said.

The diplomat was subdued by air marshals aboard the flight as he came out of the toilet,fueling suspicions that he was trying to detonate a shoe bomb. There were no explosives found on the aircraft which was searched on landing safely at Denver International Airport from Washington Airport.

The bomb scare prompted a country-wide alarm in US as F-16 fighters were scrambled to intercept the plane and law enforcement authorities put on full alert.

The Qatari diplomat,later identified as Mohammed al Modadi,27,was detained and handed over to the FBI who investigated whether he had tried to ignite something on board the plane.

The mid-level diplomat has full diplomat immunity and is his country8217;s third secretary and vice-consul. Later,the Qatari Ambassador in a statement said the diplomat was travelling to Denver on official business.

8220;The facts will reveal it was a mistake and no reckless judgements should be made,8221; the ambassador said.

As panic gripped mid-air,the US Air Force rushed two F-16 fighters under the direction of North American AerospaceDefense Command to intercept the Denver-bound airliner.

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The Boeing 757 carrying 157 passengers and six crew members took off from Reagan National Airport in Washington.

According to CNN,initial reports were that the incident involved an attempt to set a shoe on fire,but there were later indications that the situation may have resulted from a misunderstanding involving smoking during the flight.

The Fox News said the Qatari diplomat was trying to sneak a smoke in an airplane bathroom which sparked a bomb scare on the flight.

Officials said air marshals aboard the flight restrained the man and he was questioned.

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Later a FBI official was quoted as saying by the ABC news that no explosives were found in the shoes of the Qatari diplomat who was allegedly quoted as saying: 8220;I8217;m lighting my shoes on fire8221;.

The Transportation Safety Administration in a statement said it is monitoring the incident and said initial reports described a passenger possibly causing a disturbance.

Noting that the flight landed safely at Denver International Airport,the TSA said: 8220;Law enforcement and TSA have responded to the scene and the passenger is currently in custody. All steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the traveling public8221;.

US officials said it is too early to arrive at a definite conclusion if this was a terrorist attempt or just a misunderstanding.

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The incident came months after a Nigerian national made a failed attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound plane mid air on Christmas Day.