Hijackers surrender after releasing passengers from plane

The hijackers of a passenger plane carrying 118 people have been arrested following a stand-off at an airport in Malta.

The Afriqiyah Airways aircraft was on an internal flight in Libya when it was diverted to Malta International Airport.

Malta airport said the plane from Libya had landed and it appeared that two hijackers were on board.

Malta's state television says two hijackers who diverted the Libyan plane to the Mediterranean island had threatened to blow it up.

They surrendered after most of the 118 people on board had been released from the aircraft.

It remains unclear exactly how many hijackers were involved, officials said.

However, it appears they may be supporters of the late former leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

At least one man claiming to have a hand grenade threatened to blow up the plane, according to local reports.

Passengers began disembarking from the hijacked Libyan aircraft in Malta at about 1.45pm local time. 

The doors of the plane



opened and a staircase was moved over to its door before passengers began disembarking.

All were seen leaving the aircraft without hand luggage.

It is not clear why the plane was hijacked or what the demands of the hijackers are.

The plane's engines were still running as emergency operations got underway at the airport.

The Malta airport authority said all emergency teams have been dispatched to the site of what it called an "unlawful interference" on the airport tarmac.

Maltese troops were pictured surveying the hijacked flight on the runway.

The prime minister of Malta Joseph Muscat said on Twitter that he had been informed of a "potential hijack situation" involving an internal Libyan flight diverted to Malta.

In a post from his official account, he said: “Informed of potential hijack situation of a Libya internal flight diverted to Malta.

"Security and emergency operations standing by -JM."

All flights in and out of Malta have been cancelled.