All the passengers and crew members of the Egypt Air flight that was hijacked on Tuesday were released hours after the hostage situation arised. The hijacker has been detained by the Cyprus authorities.
Its over. The #hijacker arrested. #LarnacaAirport # Egyptair
— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) March 29, 2016
The authorities have identified the hijacker as Seif Eldin Mustafa.
The #hijacker of #MS181 is Seif Eldin Mustafa. The situation is still ongoing.
— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) March 29, 2016
Earlier on Tuesday it was reported a hijacker seized an Egyptian airliner and diverted it to Cyprus, triggering a hostage crisis at Larnaca airport on the south coast, Cypriot police said.
Egyptian civil aviation said the hijacker had threatened to detonate an explosives belt which he claimed he had on board the Egypt Air plane.
"The Airbus A-320 carrying 81 passengers and flying between Alexandria and Cairo was hijacked. The pilot said that a passenger told him he had an explosives vest and forced the plane to land in Larnaca," the Egyptian civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
"It is not something which has to do with terrorism," Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said.
Media reports suggest that the lone hijacker wanted to speak with her estranged wife.
Egypt’s minister of civil aviation refused to identify the hijacker or divulge the intent of hijacker.
Reports earlier suggested that the hijacker was identified as Ibrahim Samaha, an Egyptian citizen.
EgyptAir, tweeted on Tuesday morning that flight MS181 headed from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked.
Negotiations with the Hijacker result in the release of all the passengers, except the crew and four foreigners.
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
The flight landed at the Larnaca airport in Cyprus, an island country in the Mediterranean around 7 am, according to The Independent.
Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation reported that around 55 people are on board the flight. However, the airline says around 80 passengers are on the plane. The exact number is not yet known.
#BREAKING 81 passengers on board hijacked Egypt Air plane: civil aviation
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 29, 2016
Quoting Egyptian government and airline sources, BBC reported that the flight was taken over by at least one armed person. However, the exact number is still unknown.
The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation tweeted that the hijackers were strapped with explosives.
#BREAKING Hijacker lets Egyptian passengers off Egypt Air plane: Cyprus TV
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 29, 2016
According to Reuters India, the pilot of the flight was threatened with a suicide belt.
Former European Commissioner for Education, Androulla Vassiliou, tweeted saying the hijackers have asked police to leave the area in order to release women and child prisoners.
Hijackers asked all police forces to leave the area in order to release women and children passengers.....
— Androulla Vassiliou (@VassiliouEU) March 29, 2016
(With inputs from PTI)