Off the wire
• Ethiopian running legend Yifter dies  • Urgent: Hijackers release all passengers on board Libyan plane  • Lancang-Mekong FM meeting maps out direction of further cooperation  • France Q2 economic growth confirmed at 0.2 pct: Insee  • German consumer climate predicted to rise slightly in January 2017  • China to host Tough Mudder  • "Happiest 5K" to return to China in 2017  • Urgent: Hijackers releasing crew members of Libyan plane  • PNA seeks expanding help to tackle Jewish settlement issues  • Urgent: Germany confirms death of Berlin Christmas market attack suspect  
You are here: 　 Home

Most passengers set free from hijacked Libyan plane

Xinhua, December 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Most of the 118 passengers and crew have been released from a hijacked Libyan plane that was forced to divert its domestic flight to Malta on Friday, according to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.

A Libyan airplane on a domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked on Friday morning by two men claiming to be supporters of late leader Muammar Gaddafi, local media reported.

The hijackers, who ordered to redirect the flight to Malta, threatened to blow up the plane with a hand grenade if their demands were not met.

Details of their demands were not immediately available.

Reports say the Libyan government has formed a follow-up chamber to handle the hijack crisis.

Libyan Ambassador to Malta said that negotiations are continuing for the safety of the passengers.

The airplane belongs to the state-owned Afriqiyah Airways and was intended to fly from Sabha in southern Libya to Tripoli's Mitiga airport. Endit