EgyptAir hijacker surrenders; all hostages freed

[PunkTheFunk 125,703]

(CNN) A plane has been hijacked and has landed at Larnaca airport in Cyprus, Larnaca police press office confirms to CNN.

The flight was an internal flight heading from Burj El Arab airport in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria to the capital Cairo, Ihab Raslan, spokesman for the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation, tells CNN.

The Airbus 320 Egyptair flight, designated MS181, has at least 81 people on board, a statement from the Egyptian ministry of civil aviation said.

Pilot Omar El Gamal has reported a threat from a passenger claiming to have an explosive belt, who forced the plane to land in Cyprus, the statement said.

Developing story - more to come

http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/29/europe/hijacked-egypt-air-jet/index.html

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UPDATE (3:32am EST):

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UPDATE (9:32am EST)

(BBC) The hijacking of a domestic Egyptian flight that forced it to divert to Larnaca airport in Cyprus has ended with all hostages being released and the hijacker surrendering.

EgyptAir Flight MS181 was taken over by a passenger claiming to be wearing a suicide explosive belt.

After a morning of tension, the hijacker was seen walking down the steps of the aircraft with his hands raised.

His motives remain unclear.

Some reports said the Egyptian man - named by Cypriot officials as Seif Eldin Mustafa - wanted to talk to his estranged Cypriot wife who lives on the Mediterranean island, while others said he was seeking the release of female prisoners in Egypt.

The Cypriot president insisted that the hijack was not terrorism-related.

The hijacker's surrender came shortly after several people were seen fleeing the aircraft. One - apparently a crew member - escaped by climbing out of the aircraft's cockpit window.

Shortly before the crisis ended, a man - thought to be a flight crew member - clambered from the cockpit

In a tweet, the Cypriot foreign ministry confirmed the end of the crisis: "It's over. The hijacker arrested."

Throughout the morning, people had been seen leaving the aircraft after appearing to have been released.

Local media reports said the hijacker had handed over a four-page letter in Arabic after the plane landed at Larnaca on Tuesday morning, and that later a woman thought to be his wife had arrived at the airport.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades: "Always there is a woman involved"

Earlier, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades had responded to a reporter's question about whether the hijacker was motivated by romance, by laughing and saying: "Always there is a woman involved."

EgyptAir said the Airbus A320 was carrying 56 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo, along with six crew and a security official. It had initially said 81 passengers were on board.

A statement from Egypt's civil aviation ministry said 26 foreign passengers were on board, including eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch citizens, two Belgians, two Greeks, a French national, an Italian and a Syrian.

Larnaca airport, on the south coast of Cyprus, has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35915139

[Hola Soraya 4,367]

I hope that there's a quick and hopefully peaceful resolution to this horrible event.  I can't help but imagine how frightening it is for those inside. 

 

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Terrorism is an everyday thing nowadays

It's really scary and depressing

 

[monketsharona 90,119]

Terrorism is ruling the world nowadays..

[Whispering 18,865]

There is a terroir event everyday now. It really is "the new normal". 

How the hell did someone get an explosive belt past security? 

[blackstar 11,512]

I'm going to Germany for few months and things like that really can scare a **** in me. 

[Katharine Hepburn 4,607]

What a shitty airport. You're meant to do those checks for a reason 

[RAMROD 117,048]

The motive is.... new, tho

So the EgyptAir hijacker is a broken hearted man who wants to see his ex-wife, and demands asylum so they can reunite.

Dude, we all know now why she left you. A correct decision

Maybe he think he is action star or something

[lego 44,165]

3 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

The motive is.... new, tho

So the EgyptAir hijacker is a broken hearted man who wants to see his ex-wife, and demands asylum so they can reunite.

Dude, we all know now why she left you. A correct decision

Maybe he think he is action star or something

 

You kiddidng?

Source? Is he really armed or bluffing? 

[lego 44,165]

ok now I see

 

 

 

@PunkTheFunk  please update op

 

Officials don't know whether the hijacker really has an explosive belt, as he claimed, "but we are treating it as if it is real," Ateyya said.

An Egyptian-American dual citizen hijacked an EgyptAir flight over his ex-wife, officials said Tuesday.

 

A spokesman for the Cyprus Ministry of Transport said the incident is not related to terrorism, but rather the hijacker's ex-wife.

Aviation Ministry spokesman Ehab Raslan said he doesn't think the hijacker actually has explosives.

"I doubt that he had explosives because security has been heightened across all Egyptian airports. But we will be able to confirm later," Raslan said.

He said an Egyptian team is negotiating with the hijacker.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/29/europe/hijacked-egypt-air-jet/index.html

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, TimisaMonster said:

Terrorism is an everyday thing nowadays

It's really scary and depressing

 

 

2 hours ago, monketsharona said:

Terrorism is ruling the world nowadays..

 

2 hours ago, Whispering said:

There is a terroir event everyday now. It really is "the new normal". 

How the hell did someone get an explosive belt past security? 

 

31 minutes ago, CustomGueseppi said:

What a shitty airport. You're meant to do those checks for a reason 

Check the updates.

[RAMROD 117,048]

6 minutes ago, YourSweet666 said:

 

You kiddidng?

Source? Is he really armed or bluffing? 

Not at all,

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-airliner-hijacked-gunman-55-passengers-board-317594259

 

indeed

 

[lego 44,165]

2 minutes ago, RAMROD said:

Not at all,

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/egyptian-airliner-hijacked-gunman-55-passengers-board-317594259

 

indeed

 

 

I just saw, what a moron.

 

[RAMROD 117,048]

Just now, YourSweet666 said:

 

I just saw, what a moron.

 

Tbh, unbelievably selfish too.

[lego 44,165]

he's arrested!

 

 

[2007 5,291]

...mess  

Hope no one's hurt.