A man seen climbing out of the cockpit window of the EgyptAir flight that was hijacked. (Agence France-Presse photo)
The hijacker who seized an EgyptAir flight and forced it to land in Cyprus has been arrested, government spokesperson Nicos Christodoulides said on Tuesday. A man was seen climbing out of the cockpit window as it was reported that all passengers were safely off the plane.
Here are the 10 latest developments:
- The hijacker "emerged with his hands in the air" to counter-terror police officers who laid him on the ground and searched him before taking him away.
- The hijacker had claimed to be wearing an explosives belt when he took over the plane this morning. Reports had quoted the pilot has saying a man had threatened to blow himself up.
- The Airbus was hijacked on its way from Alexandria in Egypt to capital Cairo.
- The hijacker was identified as Seif Eldin Mustafa by the Cyprus government. A passenger had earlier been wrongly named as the hijacker.
- The plane had 60 on board when it was hijacked. Most of the passengers and crew were released within an hour.
- Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has said the hijacking was not related to terrorism.
- Cyprus media said the hijacker wanted to see his ex-wife, who lives in Larnaca.
- An Egyptian government spokesman told a news channel that the hijacker wanted to go to Istanbul but was told by the captain that he did not have enough fuel for the journey.
- Five months ago, 224 people were killed when a Russian Metrojet airliner was brought down by ISIS terrorists over Sinai in Egypt.
- Cyprus has seen little militant activity for decades, despite its proximity to the Middle East. A botched attempt by Egyptian commandos to storm a hijacked airliner at Larnaca airport led to the disruption of diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Egypt in 1978.
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