The EgyptAir plane hostage situation at Larnaca airport in Cyprus has ended after the alleged hijacker was arrested, the Cyprus Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
A man who claimed to have an explosive vest had been holding seven people hostage aboard an EgyptAir plane after forcing it to divert to the Mediterranean island during a domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo.
The airline said the plane, flight number MS181, was carrying 56 passengers, including 26 foreigners, and seven crew, as well as a security officer.
Minutes before the alleged hijacker was arrested a number of people were seen leaving the plane, walking down the stairs, with one climbing out of a cockpit window, before being led away by security officers.
Cyprus government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides also confirmed the end of the hijacking, tweeting: “The hijacker has just been arrested.”
EgyptAir confirmed that all the hostages have been released, saying: “Official sources at EgyptAir declared the release of all the hostages and the arrest of the hijacker.”
Almost all of the passengers were released soon after the plane landed at Larnaca airport, shortly before 9am on Tuesday.
It was claimed the man was wearing a suicide vest. Egyptian ministers were unable to confirm the report but said they were treating it as a “real threat”.
A motive for the hijacking remains unclear, but Cyprus president Nicos Anastasiades said it was “not something which has to do with terrorism”.
Some reports suggested the incident was related to the hijacker’s ex-wife, while others reported that he was asking for the release of political prisoners in Egypt.
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