An aircraft on an internal flight in Libya was hijacked and diverted to Malta where it landed on Friday, Maltese media reported. The Malta Prime Minister confirmed that the hijackers have surrendered and have been taken into custody. All the crew and passengers have been safely evacuated from the flight.
The Airbus A320 was flying inside Libya for state-owned airline Afriqiyah Airways with 118 people aboard. Two hijackers had threatened to blow up the plane, outlets including the Times of Malta reported.
A Libyan lawmaker who spoke to one of the passengers said the two hijackers were demanding the creation of a pro-Gaddafi party. Images circulating in the media appeared to show a hijacker stepping out of the plane with a green flag similar to those used by Gaddafi supporters.
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