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EgyptAir Flight Hijacked and Diverted to Cyprus EgyptAir Flight Hijacked and Diverted to Cyprus
(35 minutes later)
CAIRO — Most of the passengers on an EgyptAir plane that was hijacked and forced to land at Larnaca airport in Cyprus were released on Tuesday, the airline and Egyptian officials said, after the jet was diverted during its flight to Cairo from Alexandria.CAIRO — Most of the passengers on an EgyptAir plane that was hijacked and forced to land at Larnaca airport in Cyprus were released on Tuesday, the airline and Egyptian officials said, after the jet was diverted during its flight to Cairo from Alexandria.
The hijackers, who were not identified, said they had explosives and threatened to detonate them, according to officials, although EgyptAir said in a post on Twitter that negotiations with the hijackers had led to the release of all on board except four foreigners and the crew members. At least one of the hijackers had explosives and threatened to detonate them, according to officials. EgyptAir said in a post on Twitter that negotiations with the hijackers had led to the release of all on board except four foreigners and the crew members.
The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, in a statement, identified the flight as EgyptAir 181 and said there were 55 passengers and five crew members on board. EgyptAir, on its Twitter account, said that 81 passengers were on board.The Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority, in a statement, identified the flight as EgyptAir 181 and said there were 55 passengers and five crew members on board. EgyptAir, on its Twitter account, said that 81 passengers were on board.
A Cypriot official told The Associated Press that there appeared to be at least two hijackers, and that they had demanded that police vehicles move away from the plane, an Airbus A320, at Larnaca International Airport. Video from the airport showed passengers walking down the stairs from the plane, an Airbus A320, and walking a short distance across the tarmac before boarding a bus at Larnaca International Airport.
In a statement, the Civil Aviation Ministry said the pilot, Omar al-Gammal, had told the authorities that he had been threatened by a passenger with a belt containing explosives and who forced him to land in Larnaca, Reuters reported. It was not clear whether there were other hijackers on board.
Cyprus public television reported that the hijacker was a 27-year-old Egyptian named Ibrahim Samaha, and that he was asking for political asylum.
Aviation security in Egypt has been under sharp scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Oct. 31, killing all 224 on board.Aviation security in Egypt has been under sharp scrutiny since a Russian airliner crashed shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el Sheikh on Oct. 31, killing all 224 on board.
A local affiliate of the Islamic State said it had brought down that plane with a bomb. Russia and Egypt have attributed the crash to terrorism, although an Egyptian-led investigation has yet to publish its findings.A local affiliate of the Islamic State said it had brought down that plane with a bomb. Russia and Egypt have attributed the crash to terrorism, although an Egyptian-led investigation has yet to publish its findings.