The hijack
of a domestic Egyptian flight that caused it to be diverted to Cyprus has ended
with all hostages released and the hijacker surrendering.
EgyptAir
Flight MS181 was taken over by a passenger claiming to be
wearing a suicide explosive belt.
Airline
officials later said they had been told by Cypriot authorities that the belt was
fake.
The
hijacker's motives remain unclear but the Cypriot president said the incident
was not terrorism-related.
No-one was
injured in the hijacking, Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodulides tweeted
.
After a
morning of tension, the hijacker was seen walking down aircraft steps at
Larnaca airport with his hands raised. Some reports said the Egyptian man - named by Cypriot officials as Seif Eldin Mustafa
- wanted to talk to his estranged Cypriot wife who lives on the Mediterranean
island, while others said he was seeking the release of female prisoners in
Egypt.
In a tweet the Cypriot foreign ministry confirmed the
end of the crisis: "It's over. The hijacker arrested."
Throughout
the morning, people had been seen leaving the aircraft after appearing to have
been released.
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