The two hijackers – said to be members of a pro-Gaddafi
group – took over the plane in mid-air during a flight within Libya. It was
redirected and landed in Malta. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat confirmed the jet
has seven crew members and 111 passengers - including a baby - on board.
It was flying from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli for
state-owned Afriqiyah Airways, a route that would usually
take a little over
two hours, when the hijacking unfolded.
The pilot had earlier tried to land in Tripoli, the Libyan
capital, but was stopped by the hijackers, The Times of Malta reported.
A senior Libyan security official said when the plane was
still in flight 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 pilot
tried very hard to have them land at the correct destination but they
refused."
The two hijackers say they are willing to let the passengers
go free if their demands - as yet unknown - are met. Negotiating teams are
currently waiting on standby while Muscat finishes convening with his security
committee.
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