Malaysian defense minister's communications team on Friday denied a CNN report that the country 's air force scrambled fighter jets soon after flight MH370 was reported missing on early March 8.

The report, citing an unnamed source, also claimed the air force did not inform the Department of Civil Aviation or authorities for search and rescue operations until three days later, March 11.

The team said on twitter the report was "also untrue."

Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, also acting transport minister, denied the CNN report Thursday evening on his twitter account that Malaysian Air Force aircraft scrambled soon after Malaysia Airlines reported the missing of flight MH370.

The denial was first tweeted by his communications team in response to the CNN report, which quoted an unnamed senior Malaysian government official as saying "Malaysian air force search aircraft were scrambled about 8 a.m. on March 8 to the South China Sea and the Strait of Malacca, soon after Malaysia Airlines reported that its plane was missing."

It also said "the aircraft took off before authorities corroborated data indicating that the plane turned back westward."

Hishammuddin later retweeted the message on his official twitter account.