2nd LD Writethru: Plane hijackers have one pistol, one hand-grenade: Maltese PM

The two hijackers of a Libyan flight were found to be in possession of a hand-grenade and a pistol, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said Friday.

A second pistol was found following a search of the aircraft, Muscat told a press conference after the surrendering of the two hijackers.

The two Libyan hijackers surrendered peacefully without making any conditions. They are being interrogated by Maltese authorities, he said.

The 109 passengers will be returned to Libya in the coming hours after they are questioned by police. Some of the six crew members are being questioned to ascertain course of events, Muscat said.

The Libyan plane, flying a domestic route in Libya, was hijacked and landed at Malta International Airport at 11:32 a.m. local time.

The Afriqiyah Airways flight had departed the southern Libyan city of Sebha in the morning, originally on its way to the Libyan capital Tripoli.

Muscat said that the two hijackers had not made any demands.

The hijackers have not made any request for political asylum so far. But it cannot be excluded that they might make such requests in the hours to come, he said.

Citing Arab sources, Maltese national TV station TVM reported earlier that the two hijackers were from southern Libya and were supporters of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Libya has been suffering escalating violence since the uprising that toppled Gaddafi in 2011. Endit