Airliner hijackers surrender

MALTA – The hijacking of a Libyan plane has ended peacefully after armed men who seized control surrendered in Malta.

The domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked after taking off from Sabha, bound for the Libyan capital Tripoli. Instead, the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 was diverted to Malta International Airport.

It appears the two hijackers are supporters of Libya’s late deposed leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

Speaking at a press conference after the men were arrested, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat revealed the men had been armed with a pistol and a grenade.

Muscat said neither of the men, believed to be of Libyan nationality, had made any demands.

“The two hijackers have been detained in custody and interrogations are ongoing. The rest of the crew and passengers are also being questioned to ascertain events.

Shortly before the incident drew to an end, one man emerged from the plane briefly and stood on the plane steps waving a green, Gaddafi-era flag – adding support to earlier suggestions they were loyalists to the former leader, killed in 2011.

- BBC