Two hijackers have seized control of an Afriqiyah Airways flight in Libya, forcing the Airbus A320 plane to divert to Malta, according to reports. It’s understood there are 118 people on board.
“Informed of potential hijack situation of a Libya internal flight diverted to Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by,” Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted on Friday.
The hijackers, described by Times of Malta as being “pro-Gaddafi,” have reportedly threatened to blow up the plane, with one of the suspects in possession of a hand grenade. Their demands are not yet known.
It's understood the plane was making an internal flight from Sebha to Tripoli, with 111 passengers on board and 7 crew, but has now landed at Malta International Airport.
Opposition party leader Simon Busuttil, also tweeted about the incident, calling it a “grave concern.”
“My full cooperation to Govt to protect Malta security and the safety of passengers,” he wrote.
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