A Libyan plane with 118 people on board has landed in Malta in what the island’s prime minister called a “potential hijack situation”.
The Airbus A320 was on an internal flight for Afriqiyah Airways when it was diverted on Friday morning and according to Malta airport, two hijackers appear to be on board the plane on the runway.
Maltese media however say only one hijacker was aboard the plane, claiming to be in possession of a hand grenade.
The hijacker has reportedly claimed he is pro-Gaddafi and said he was willing to let passengers go apart from the crew if his demands were met. According to the Times of Malta, the plane’s engines were still running and it was surrounded by soldiers, but no one is yet believed to have approached the plane.
The aircraft had been flying from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli for state-owned Afriqiyah Airways, when it was diverted to the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta , about 500 km north of the Libyan coast.
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