Commercial Airliner With 118 People Aboard Reportedly Captured in Libya

The plane of the Libyan air company Afriqiyah Airways A320 with 118 people aboard, including 28 women, 82 men and one child, was allegedly hijacked, Reuters reports, citing Malta's media.

Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat said that the airliner has been diverted from the initial route from Sabha to Tripoli. 

According to the Malta Today news outlet, airbus landed in Malta at around 11.32 a.m. local time (11:00 GMT).

The media reports say that two hijackers threatened to bomb the plane. The hijackers of a Libyan passenger plane that landed in Malta earlier in the day are demanding the release of Libya's long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi's son from prison, the Al Bilad newspaper reported Friday, citing sources.

InewsMalta reporter Jake Azzopardi reported from the airport that two people onboard are threatening to bomb the plane if they are not given food and fuel to take off.

"The bomb disposal units and the armed forces of Malta are on the site, paramedics are also on site, and sources from the airport, on the runway five, where the plane is located, reported that the situation was escalating. Police and armed forces have secured the perimeter, media are not allowed inside."

The Libyan Transport Minister said earlier he was conducting talks with the hijackers.

The Libyan government of national unity confirmed the plane capture and said that they are in close contact with their Maltese counterparts on the issue, local media reported, citing a source in the Foreign Ministry.

Hijackers have released all passengers on board a Libyan plane which landed in Malta earlier in the day, however the exact number of passengers is not clear yet, media reported Friday.

According to the Sky News Arabia broadcaster, the crew of the aircraft had not been released.

Malta police cannot confirm reports that passengers of the hijacked Libyan plane that had landed in Malta earlier in the day, have been released, a police press officer told Sputnik on Friday.

“The passengers are all on board at the moment. I do not have a confirmation that passengers have been released and leaving the plane,” the press officer said.

He added that the airport was closed and all flights had been canceled until further notice.

At least nine planed arriving to the airport were allegedly diverted to the Italian city of Catania.

The Malta police could not confirm to Sputnik the reports that an alleged hijacker of the Libyan plane that had touched down in Malta earlier in the day were negotiating with the local authorities details of the release of hostages.

“It is a potential hijacking situation of the Libyan internal flight that has landed in Malta. We do not have a confirmation that the hijacker negotiated with the authorities possibility of letting everyone go if they fulfill his requests,” a press officer of the Malta police told Sputnik.

Earlier Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat stated in twitter that there is a "potential hijack situation" involving an internal Libyan flight that was diverted to Malta.

Malta airport officials say that a Libyan plane landed at the Mediterranean island, confirming two hijackers. They also added that all emergency and security teams dispatched to the site.

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