Afriqiyah Airways Plane Makes Emergency Landing In Malta, 'Potential Hijack' Feared

UPDATE: 7:58 a.m. EST — The first group of passengers of a hijacked Afriqiyah Airways plane have been released after the plane was forced to land in Malta, the country's prime minister announced on Twitter.

It was unclear if a deal was reached to release the hostages. Earlier, the mayor of the Libyan town of Sebha, from where the plane originated, told the BBC that investigators are working to find out how explosives and weapons made it on board after reports said two hijackers were carrying explosives on board.

Col. Hamed Al-Khayali confirmed that the plane was carrying 111 passengers and seven crew members from Sebha airport at 11:05 a.m. local time (4:05 a.m. EST).

"The security at this airport is not good. It’s a military airport," Al-Khayali told BBC.

The distance between the airport and any plane landing or taking off at Sebha is over three miles, making it possible to smuggle weapons or other items on board, the BBC noted.

UPDATE: 7:18 a.m. EST — A negotiating team is on standby at Malta International Airport, where a Libyan carrier landed after two men hijacked the plane Friday, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s office said, the Associated Press reported.

The team is reportedly awaiting instructions from Muscat, who is in a meeting with the National Security Committee. The Afriqiyah Airways plane was on its way from Sebha in southwest Libya to capital Tripoli at the time of the hijack.

Muscat and Libyan Prime Minister Faez al Serraj discussed the hijack situation, BBC reported earlier, citing a spokesman for Malta's government.

UPDATE: 6:05 a.m. EST — Authorities in Libya and Malta confirmed that an Afriqiyah Airways plane with 118 people on board made an emergency landing in the island nation after being hijacked Friday.

“[Malta International Airport] can confirm that there is an unlawful interference at the airport. All emergency teams have been dispatched to the site … While some flights have been delayed or diverted, airport operations have been resumed,” the airport said, in a statement.

BBC reported, citing a local official, that there were two hijackers on board the plane. Flights to and from Malta have been cancelled while local troops surrounded the hijacked plane, according to reports.

Original story:

An Afriqiyah Airways plane with 118 people on board has made an emergency landing in Malta on Friday, triggering reports that it may be a "potential hijack situation," according to reports.

Two hijackers reportedly threatened to blow up the domestic flight and forced it to land in neighboring Malta, which is an island off the Libyan coast in the Mediterranean Sea. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted that he has been informed about the incident.

The Afriqiyah Airways plane, an Airbus A320, was on an internal flight from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli. A total of 111 passengers and seven crew members were on the plane. The hijacker claimed to be a supporter of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, according to Times of Malta.

Reports also indicated that one of the hijackers on board had claimed to possess a hand grenade.

This is a developing story...