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Updated at 8.35pm
TWO MEN USED fake weapons to hijack a Libyan plane with 117 people on board and divert it to Malta, before releasing everyone and surrendering.
The Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 was en route from Sabha in southern Libya to the capital Tripoli when it was taken over and forced to fly to Malta earlier today, sparking a four-hour runway standoff.
While they were initially thought to have used a real grenade and at least one pistol to stage the hijacking, it later emerged that the pair used fake weapons, a Maltese government statement said.
The men had claimed to have a grenade when they took over the plane. It was diverted to Malta where everyone on board was released and the hijackers surrendered to authorities, officials have said.
“Final crew members leaving aircraft with hijackers,” Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said on Twitter.
Minutes later he added: “Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody.”
Libyan Foreign Minister Taher Siala said the two hijackers were supporters of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi and had requested political asylum in Malta.
Siala, from Libya’s internationally backed Government of National Accord, said the hijackers also said they want to set up a pro-Gaddafi political party.
The plane landed in Malta just after 10.30am Irish time.
After more than an hour on the tarmac, the door of the Airbus A320 opened and the first group of women and children were seen descending a mobile staircase.
Dozens more passengers were released minutes later following negotiations that Maltese government sources said were led by the head of Malta’s military.
In all there were 111 passengers, including 28 women and a baby, on board, as well as seven crew members.
The Libyan government confirmed the plane was diverted after leaving from Sabha in southern Libya.
Malta state TV earlier reported that the hijackers had hand grenades and were threatening to blow up the aircraft.
Maltairport / TwitterMIA confirms there is an unlawful interference at the airport.Emergency teams dispatched.Visit https://t.co/Lf8i8e8s6L for flight info.
— Malta International Airport (@Maltairport) December 23, 2016
Flightradar24 / TwitterHijacked Afriqiyah Airways flight diverted to Malta https://t.co/bEAPwrpZts pic.twitter.com/Haor9Zr09n
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) December 23, 2016
Chaos
Libya has been in a state of chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Gaddafi left warring militias battling for control of different parts of the country.
Forces loyal to a fledgling national unity government recently took control of the coastal city of Sirte, which had been a bastion for the so-called Islamic State group since June 2015.
Western powers have pinned their hopes of containing jihadism in the energy-rich North African state on the government, but it has failed to establish its authority over all of the country.
A rival authority rules the country’s far east, backed by the forces under military strongman Marshal Khalifa Haftar. They have been battling jihadists in second city Benghazi.
- With reporting from Associated Press, AFP and Órla Ryan
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FFS
Im sure that Libyan politician is not too happy he was uniquely identified by the press, these guys probably didn’t realise they had a bonus hostage. Good to see the women and children released early, hope it goes well for the remainder.
The effect of defeating IS in their own territories will be an increase in attacks on Europe and the west
another act from the “tiny minority”.
Nothing at all to do with religion!!! Nothing to see hear. Move along
@cholly appleseed: More to do with the civil war in Libya since Gaddafi was ousted by rebels supported by the west.
It’s a bunch of loners that all think and act the same way.
@Breandán O Conchúir: The jihadists of Libya didn’t arrive from outer space the moment Gaddafi was ousted.
They should have just made the trip to the Med coast where once at sea the Irish Navy (under orders from our incompetent political class that is) would have rescued their poor Jihadi souls, and shipped them to the honey pot that is Europe.
Our navy responded to a call for assistance from the Italian authorities who were suffering from the full brunt of irresponsible back door immigration policies. According to other responders in the region, the Irish navy who were unprepared for this mission has gone above and beyond in their efforts to assist the Italians, working 24hours a day pushing their vessel to the limit, they deserve credit for the tough job they have done. The blame for this crisis lies squarely with the bungling EU leaders not the emergency responders.
@Mr Phil Officer:
Absolutely Phil. It has been disappointing to read some of the criticism they have received after the phenomenal work they have put in.
@Mr Phil Officer: Why don’t they drop the Jihadis back in Libya?
It is disappointing Charlie, considering they were ill equipped and unprepared and they still managed to get through more work than what was expected, politics aside they did a phenomenal job.
Daithi, that’s a question for the EU leaders, I don’t agree with the irresponsible immigration policies, there doesn’t seem to be any effort to try and distinguish between genuine refugees, economic migrants and jihadis, not vetting them is a disaster waiting to happen.
@Mr Phil Officer: Europe is renowned for having though immigration requirements and checks, obviously the sheer volume of people fleeing from Syria and else where has put intense pressure on the EU’s border system. But the system is no where near as lax as right wing politicians and tabloids would have you think
@Breandán O Conchúir: So the millions of criminals who broke the law by entering Europe illegally don’t bear any responsibility?
Could be someone looking to escape Libya and look fo asylum.
Times of Malta say it’s just landed.
If you’re looking to be welcomed into a country and cared for after fleeing a war zone, threatening to blow up a plane isn’t the way to go about it.
Libya is open exit, they could just walk out it they wanted to escape. No demands yet, but it’s bound to be about the release of some terrorist leaders. I don’t think the expect to escape but chose Malta because in Libya or Egypt they would have been stormed and killed by now, even with the risk to the hostages.
@Greg Blake: I’m surprised they didn’t demand to land in Ireland. They obviously haven’t heard about our lax sentencing.
@Thunder Snowman: Maybe they mixed up the tax havens
Christmas brings out the religious loons in force.
Amen
@John Jones: I’m still waiting for a headline that reads “atheist group hijacks plane…or radical atheist suicide bomber kills 50 in Christmas attack etc”. Something tells me I never will read such a headline as only religion makes people do such things.
I wish I still believed in religion I found myself happier with the plan of the next step, but after the age of 14/15 there was Noway I could take any of them seriously, its crazy what these people are doing in the name of the invisible man. brainwashed at its best.
If it was isis they would already be dead
“A plane has landed in Malta after it was hijacked, the country’s Prime Minister has confirmed.
“The Libyan Afriqiyah Airways A320 plane is believed to have 118 people on board, the Times of Malta reports.
Joseph Muscat wrote on Twitter that he has been told of a potential hijack situation of an internal Libyan flight diverted to Malta.
“Reports suggested one hijacker is on board and claims to be in possession of a hand grenade.”
UK press
Will it ever end?
@Ó Connmhaigh: How did he get on board with a hand grenade? That should be question number 1
Hang on, maybe it isn’t one, and he’s just making empty threats. I hope so for the sake of those on board. Sure they have to treat a threat seriously whether or not it’s eventually found out to be a real grenade or an empty tin can.
@Stephen Devlin: He boarded in southern Libya. Bit like the security in Egypt that time they put a bomb on the Russian plane I’d imagine.
Ah yes, another member of the peace loving religion bringing joy to others.
I couldn’t take a fuchyin tweezers onto a plane last time I flew.. How in the name of jeebus, Mary and the carpenter did he manage to get on board with grenades!!
Isnt the new multicultural Europe wonderful.
Yes. Yes it is.
Waiting for people to start immediately saying that ALL MUSLIMS (!!!!!!) are to blame for the actions of an increasingly small and increasingly unhinged minority. Unfortunately, ISIS seems to enjoy sabre-rattling and trying to manipulate its adherents into committing terror attacks is a small price to pay for their inevitable demise.
Well mate the slight problem is that this extremely tiny minority of terrorist muslims still translates into thousands of thousands of people. Therefore native people of Europe have every right to defend their land from the threat / despite political correctness and what some deluded folk think. If it means banning all of them so be it. I’m not playing Russian roulette if you ask me.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: Banning all of them wouldn’t stop people who are already in Europe from being radicalised. There’d also be radical Muslim clerics still in Europe if “all the borders” were closed. Going after the people preaching hate would be more of a long term solution than just closing Europe’s borders and letting people get radicalised regardless.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: Calm down Tomasz, you’re quite safe! But if we go down the road of banning groups of people in their entirety, neither you nor anyone else will be anymore . . .
@Michael Shimaoka:
Jesus, YOU brought up the all Muslims thing. How about waiting till it happens.
@Charlie Fogarty: There are people on here with those exact views.
@Michael Shimaoka: False cries of racism have silenced people from criticising an ideology openly calling for their destruction. Silence will not spare you.
@Congress Tart: There’s a difference between criticising an ideology and wanting people to be deported on the off chance that they MIGHT kill you.
@Michael Shimaoka:
How do you propose we start “Going after the people preaching hate”?
@Tomasz what do we do about 2nd,3rd,4th generation Muslims? What of native Europeans, as you put it, who convert and become radicalised? Remember a few weeks ago there was an Irishman, as pale as we come, who died fighting with isis? How do we deal with that? Any insights?
@The Girl: Free sky diving lessons over Saudi Arabia.
Ask yourself, where does ISIS, Nusra, Boko Haram etc get their evil ideas from???
@Nazerene: They get their ideas from their holy book.
@Charlie Fogarty:
“Going after the people preaching hate”? Unfortunately, we can’t. There is the constitution, and the ECHR that protects radicals and enriches lawyers.
@The Girl, that Irishman you speak of didn’t die fighting ‘with’ ISIS, he died fighting ‘FOR’ ISIS, there’s a big difference
As long as Santa’s sleigh doesn’t get hijacked tomorrow night…..
@Stephen Devlin: https://heavyeditorial.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/cover14.jpg?quality=65&strip=all
Just th beginning for th religion of peaces’ flight school .. Had Gaddafi stayed we maybe wouldn’t be dealing with quite such a surge of terrorist activity in that region too and now they’re even closer to Europe it needs to be seriously reviewed security wise. Shoot to kill should be employed on active jihadists entering Europe this way problem is we cannot trust Turkey
@Seán Domhnall O’Sullivan: You can’t identify them. Simply not possible. Most jihadists around the world are not on any watchlist. Their fingerprints and biometrics are recorded nowhere. They have no papers or false papers. The only rational response is to only allow people through your borders whose real identities, place of origin, date of birth and criminal record history you know.
You would think any alleged hijacker would want to land in a busy city to get away. Landing on a small island is a bit of a dead end, no? They’d need a getaway boat.
It’s the master plan / no worries, they can take small dinghy off the Malta safely, Irish rescue vessel will be over to them very soon. Asylum granted 100%.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: Just out of curiosity, Tomasz, but where are you from?
Leave the Irish navy out of it, their doing a good job considering they weren’t prepared this mission. They didn’t create this mess.
Ah, so that’s the cunning plan, you think?
@Michael: Shimoaka, now there’s a good strong Irish name.
@Phil Hegarty: Awful bang of casual racism off that comment.
@Daisy: He was responding to Shim. Who was the first one to question someone’s ethnic background. And it seems like Shim did so hoping to use Tomasz’s ethnicity as rhetorical leverage, hoping to convince Tomasz to think “correctly” about Muslim migrants. This is likely the case given Shim’s history of comments on the subject.
Phil probably hoped to show how silly Shim was by pointing out his ethnicity, in a not so serious, ironic fashion. As if to say “pointing out someone’s ethnicity to make a point is ridiculous”.
I’m Polish Michael. And before you start throwing racist cards let me clarify something: I’m far from being racist if this what you’re implying. I have friends from many countries and colours. I arrived to Ireland legally and pay lot of tax here. However I’m not one of these politically correct morons that say it’s a rain when somebody spits in their face. I call spade a spade. I’m against uncontrolled and not vetted mass immigration into Europe. Murdered truck driver in a Berlin was polish too so I’m personally touched with this you can imagine. There isn’t single day in the news without some Islamists attacking someone. I understand people are torn between being humans and helping victims of the war and accepting the risks. But it cannot continue that way. It’s not managed properly. Look at refugees boats pictures, do you see many women and children there? If there was war in my country I’d rather die than leave my family behind. I’d try to send off my wife and children first. EU politicians took us for very rough deal, am I sort of fascist in your eyes not to agree with it? And re Irish Navy. I know they’re great. My sarcasm was directed at people in power who order them to be there.
Where’s John McCain when you need him
@dick dastardly: Or John McClane
I’m outraged that these hijackoffs would discriminate against women – so meddy evil.
Well, they had a grand day for it anyway.
Fascinating use of hashtags by the Maltese PM there
RTE reports they have surrendered
Relieved! Glad that that worked out with no one hurt. Well handled, Malta.
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