Hijacking in the Skies of Egypt: Egyptian Hijacker Arrested

The hijacking that began on Tuesday morning, April 10, in the skies of Egypt ended in the afternoon of the same day with the arrest of the Egyptian hijacker at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. It appears that no one was seriously harmed during this hijacking. Earlier, the French news agency reported, citing the President of Cyprus, that the motive for the hijacking of the Egyptian passenger plane that occurred on Tuesday was 'not terrorist' and that most passengers on this flight have been released. Hours after the hijacking, Egypt's official news agency, MENA, reported that the hijacker of the Egyptian airline, who landed in Larnaca, Cyprus on Tuesday morning, is Egyptian and named Ibrahim Samaha. However, after a while, the Cypriot Foreign Ministry introduced the Egyptian hijacker as an individual named 'Saif al-Din Mustafa.' Earlier, Reuters reported, citing the Alexandria University website, that the hijacker is named Ibrahim Abdul Tawab Samaha, a professor of veterinary medicine at this university. Meanwhile, the Cypriot government announced the closure of Larnaca Airport and redirected all flights to another city. The French news agency reported, citing a 'state radio,' that the hijacker has requested political asylum in Cyprus. The same agency states that the hijacker is 'not Egyptian.' It was previously reported that the motive for this hijacking is 'personal' and that his ex-wife lives in Cyprus. Reuters had previously reported that eight British and ten Americans were among the passengers of an Airbus A320 belonging to EgyptAir that was hijacked on Tuesday. It is unclear how many of these 18 passengers have been released. It is said that the hijacker is currently on the plane with the flight crew and five foreign passengers. After an hour of 'negotiation,' the hijacker allowed all passengers except for five foreign passengers to disembark at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. According to the Associated Press, the passengers who were allowed to exit the plane were 'women and children.' Reuters reports, citing EgyptAir, that only the crew and four or five foreign passengers remain on the plane. An Airbus A320 belonging to EgyptAir that was hijacked on Tuesday, April 10, landed in Larnaca, Cyprus. No individual or group has claimed responsibility for this hijacking yet. However, the French news agency reports that the hijacker has threatened to 'detonate his explosive belt.' Reports indicate that there is only one hijacker on the Egyptian airline, and according to the spokesperson for the Cypriot Ministry of Interior, no requests have been made yet. The French news agency reports, citing Cairo airport officials, that this aircraft was carrying 55 passengers and seven crew members. According to reports, this passenger plane was flying from the coastal city of Alexandria in Egypt to the capital, Cairo, when it suddenly changed its course and flew towards Cyprus.