A Libyan passenger plane has been hijacked by two pro-Gaddafi supporters armed with hand grenades.
Maltese state TV said the men on board were threatening to blow the aircraft up if their demands - as yet unknown - were not met.
The Libyan Afriqiyah Airways A320 plane is believed to have 118 people on board, with the hijacking first confirmed by Malta's Prime Minister on Twitter.
Joseph Muscat wrote that he has been told of the hijacking of an internal Libyan flight travelling from Sebha to Tripoli which was diverted to Malta mid-flight.
It is understood the plane's engines are still running and there are 111 passengers and 7 crew members onboard. Maltese armed forces are yet to approach the aircraft.
The Malta airport authority said all emergency teams have been dispatched to the site of what it called an 'unlawful interference' on the airport tarmac.
A later tweet by the Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat confirmed that there was 82 males and 28 females onboard, including 1 infant
No comments:
Post a Comment