MAJOR UPDATE: All 118 passages are now safe and the Hijackers have surrendered.
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An airplane carrying 118 onboard has been rerouted to Malta, and there are reports that there are 1-2 hijackers on board with grenades. These are early reports and unsubstantiated as of yet.
UPDATE BELOW!
More from Reuters:
Two hijackers had threatened to blow up the Airbus A320, which had 118 people aboard, outlets including the Times of Malta said. The aircraft had been flying from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli for state-owned Afriqiyah Airways.
The tiny Mediterranean island of Malta is about 500 km (300 miles) north of the Libyan coast.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted: “Informed of potential hijack situation of a #Libya internal flight diverted to #Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by -JM”.
Here’s a report from the BBC:
BREAKING: Pilot of Libyan plane told traffic control in Tripoli that plane was hijacked and he was not allowed to land there
— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) December 23, 2016
Hopefully the innocent people can be saved.
UPDATE!
This seems problematic:
Reuters: Libyan MP who spoke to passenger on board says men who hijacked plane were demanding the creation of a pro-Gaddafi party
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) December 23, 2016
But they began releasing the hostages:
BREAKING: 109 passengers have now been released from hijacked Libyan plane
— The Int'l Spectator (@intlspectator) December 23, 2016
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat says aircraft cabin crew have been released from the hijacked plane
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) December 23, 2016
Passengers begin leaving hijacked Libyan plane at Malta Airport; Maltese authorities say they are women and children https://t.co/GDVBBFNEu4 pic.twitter.com/SCPoZOFMzO
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) December 23, 2016
So if they’re pro-Qaddafi loyalists, does that mean Hillary is to blame for this?