Afriqiyah Libyan Airways Hijacked Plane: Hijackers Surrender In Malta, All 118 On Board Released (VIDEOS, PHOTOS)

A flight within Libya was hijacked and diverted to Malta on Friday morning, where it landed with 118 people on board. After several hours, the passengers and crew were all evacuated and the two male hijackers surrendered, the Maltese prime minister says.

The hijackers were armed with a hand grenade and at least two pistols, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said at a press conference.

The passengers were released in waves, without any apparent violence.

"Buses were driven onto the tarmac to carry passengers away," The Associated Press reports. "Television footage showed no signs of struggle or alarm."

At one point, Maltese state television reported that hijackers were threatening to blow up the plane, according to the AP.

The Times of Malta was reporting that two hijackers, claiming to be armed with a hand grenade, took over the Afriqiyah Airways flight, which was set to fly from the Libyan city of Sabha to Tripoli. It's not clear what the hijackers' demands were.

Video posted by the Times showed the plane sitting on the ground with security forces gathered nearby.



RT