A man has been detained after an incident on a flight from Washington's Reagan airport to Denver.

Two F-16 jets were scrambled to intercept the plane and escort it to land safely at Denver airport, the US Northern Command said.

There were initial reports that a Qatari diplomat had tried to set fire to his shoes.

But officials later said no explosives were found and he had apparently been trying to smoke in a plane toilet.

When confronted, the man "made a joke about it", which further alarmed people on board the flight, said an unnamed official quoted by the Associated Press.

The man has been identified as a Qatari diplomat stationed at the country's Washington embassy.

The plane, with more than 160 passengers and crew on board, arrived at Denver International Airport, where TV footage showed it surrounded by security vehicles.

The US Transportation Security Administration said the suspect was being interviewed by law enforcement officials.

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