Air Malta Plane Hijacked

Kathmandu: An airliner on an internal flight in Libya was hijacked and diverted to Malta where it landed on Friday, Maltese media reported that mentioned by gulf news.

According to the gulf news, that Malta state TV said two hijackers with hand grenades were threatening to blow up the Airbus A320, which was flying inside Libya for state-owned airline Afriqiyah Airways with 118 people aboard.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted: "Informed of potential hijack situation of a Libya internal flight diverted to Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by JM".

Some reports said there was only one hijacker.

He told crew he was "pro-Gaddafi" and that he was willing to let all passengers leave the Airbus A320, but not its seven crew, if his demands were met, the Times of Malta said.

A senior Libyan security official told Reuters that when the plane was still in flight on Friday morning the pilot told the control tower at Tripoli's Mitiga airport it had been hijacked.

"The pilot reported to the control tower in Tripoli that they were being hijacked, then they lost communication with him," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"The pilot tried very hard to have them land at the correct destination but they refused."

Large numbers of security officials could be seen at Mitiga airport after news of the hijacking.

Source GULF NEWS