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Europe
Egypt Air plane hijacked to Cyprus by Man in Boom Vest
2016-03-29
[Reuters] LARNACA: A man thought to be strapped with explosives hijacked an Egyptian plane on a flight between Alexandria and Cairo on Tuesday and forced it to land in Cyprus, Egyptian officials said.

After the Egypt Air plane landed at Larnaca airport, the hijacker released all the people onboard except five foreign passengers and the crew, Egypt Air said.

About 60 people, including seven crew, had been on board, Egyptian and Cypriot officials said.

"The negotiations with the hijacker have resulted in the release of all the plane passengers with the exception of the crew and five foreigners," the airline said in a statement.

Egypt´s Civil Aviation Ministry said the plane's pilot, Omar al-Gammal, had informed authorities that he was threatened by a passenger wearing a suicide explosives belt and forced him to land in Larnaca.

A Cyprus Foreign Ministry official said he could not confirm the man was rigged with explosives. The hijacking occurred in Cyprus'´s flight information region. The plane was an Airbus 320, Egypt's aviation ministry said.

Eyptian state media named the hijacker as Ibrahim Samaha, an Egyptian, but gave no other details about him. Passengers on the plane included eight Britons and 10 Americans, three security sources at Alexandria airport said.
Yes, Samaha, Ibrahim Samaha. Please, just call me Sammy. Here is my card. You were expecting someone else ?
Posted by:Besoeker

#6  How in the HELL did he get a boom vest on an airplane???
Posted by: Bill Clinton   2016-03-29 21:25  

#5  
Posted by: Lampedusa Creretch3679   2016-03-29 17:52  

#4  According to Crurong Elmeque1754's link, the gentleman's name is not Sameha after all. And he's married to someone else. An idiot, indeed.

This doesn't speak well of the Egyptian airport's security...
Posted by: trailing wife   2016-03-29 10:22  

#3  "EgyptAir hijacked plane: Suspected arrested after being branded an 'idiot' by Egyptian minister" reported by The Telegraph.

link
Posted by: Crurong Elmeque1754   2016-03-29 09:25  

#2  The radio (CBS News) 25 minutes ago suggested it was some sort of domestic issue, something about his wife, something unplanned. Time will tell.
Posted by: Bobby   2016-03-29 07:38  

#1  Yasser "Hey, I'm burning in hell!" Arafat approves
Posted by: Frank G   2016-03-29 07:28  

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