The Malaysian military says it has radar evidence showing the missing Boeing 777 jetliner changed course and made it to the Malacca Strait, hundreds of miles away from the last location reported by civilian authorities.
The development injects new mystery into the investigation of the flight’s disappearance.
Local newspaper Berita Harian quoted Malaysian air force chief Gen. Rodzali Daud as saying radar at a military base had detected the airliner near Pulau Perak, at the northern approach to the strait.
A high-ranking military official involved in the investigation confirmed the report on Tuesday and also said the aircraft was believed to be flying low.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.
More than three days after the Boeing 777 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, no trace of the plane has been found in waters between Malaysia and Vietnam that have been scoured by more than 40 planes and ships from at least 10 nations.