STORY UPDATED: check for updates below.
A passenger jet from Egyptian airline Egyptair has been forced to land in Cyprus by at least one hijacker wearing a suicide belt. All passengers have been let of the plane by now, the crew is still on board. Reportedtly the hijacker has demanded a translator and political asylum but there are also reports he is looking to deliver a four page message to his Cypriot ex-wife. The hijacker was originally identified as 27-year old Egyptian man named 'Ibrahim Samaha' a professor of veterinary medicine, but this waslater denied. There are also reports the man holds U.S. citizenship, but this is unconfirmed.
Updated: Cyprus Foreign Ministry announced the hijacker has been arrested shortly after the remaining crew members managed to escape from the plane via a cockpit window.
Developing...
Updates:
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2016-03-29T13:19:40Z 2016-03-29T13:19:40Z UPDATE: Egypt civil aviation ministry says Cypriot authorities have determined that hijacker's suicide belt was fake.
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T11:47:47Z 2016-03-29T11:47:47Z Its over. The #hijacker arrested. #LarnacaAirport # Egyptair
— Cyprus MFA (@CyprusMFA) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T11:33:46Z 2016-03-29T11:33:46Z احد المختطفين يقفز من شباك الطائرة المصرية المختطفة pic.twitter.com/gvkg4yEC1V
— Sky News Arabia (@skynewsarabia) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T11:32:14Z 2016-03-29T11:32:14Z BREAKING: 4 hostages - believed to be crew - leap off #EgyptAir hijacked jet and run away - @MiddleEastEye
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T11:08:19Z 2016-03-29T11:08:19Z Supposed image of the hijacker, with explosives belt:#صورة مختطف الطائرة المصرية مرتديا حزاماً ناسفاً#مصر #اختطاف_طايره_مصريه #ياريتني_كنت_معاهم#EgyptAir pic.twitter.com/LqDM5hzTQY
— صائد الأخبار (@newshunter1) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T10:04:04Z 2016-03-29T10:04:04Z BREAKING: Cyprus state broadcaster reports hijacker asking for release of prisoners in #Egypt https://t.co/hXtBOEjhTC #EgyptAir
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:32:30Z 2016-03-29T09:32:30Z Apparently Ibrahim Samaha, named as hijacker, has been released as a hostage. He's not the hijacker. #EgyptAir
— Hind (@SkyHindHassan) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:28:22Z 2016-03-29T09:28:22Z Still 7 people inside #EgyptAir flight #MS181, Egypt's Aviation Minister says pic.twitter.com/tsRZ0QN1NK
— Dan Smith (@0DanSmith) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:25:07Z 2016-03-29T09:25:07Z Security sources says the hijacker is Seif El-Dien Mostafa not Ibrahim Samaha #EgyptAir https://t.co/9LiDeJBpfY
— Sarah Mohsen (@sarah_m94) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:20:42Z 2016-03-29T09:20:42Z Dr. Ibrahim Smaha talked to @BBCArabic denied that he had anything to do with the hijacking he is just a passenger pic.twitter.com/PjFJNQrfBv
— Majd Yousef (@Mayousef) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:08:06Z 2016-03-29T09:08:06Z Now the real Dr. Ibrahim Samaha of Alex Uni telling @BBCArabic that he did NOT hijack the plane #قبرص #EgyptAir pic.twitter.com/k5iFaZ81X7
— Farid Y. Farid (@FaridYFarid) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:07:10Z 2016-03-29T09:07:10Z Hijacker Samaha hands letter to flight attendant to be delivered to his ex-wife #MS181 https://t.co/rdMLxyjPEh pic.twitter.com/gmE2zzU7cJ
— The Cairo Post (@TheCairoPost) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:04:58Z 2016-03-29T09:04:58Z #EgyptAir ✈ #MS181 Hijacker's wife is at Larnaca airport now. Negotiations continuing.
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T09:02:29Z 2016-03-29T09:02:29Z Egyptian and Cypriot officials are not sure the hijacker has actual explosives with him. -
2016-03-29T08:54:36Z 2016-03-29T08:54:36Z UPDATE 8 Americans, 4 Britons, 2 Belgians, 1 Italian, 4 Dutch and 30 Egyptians on board #EgyptAir flight #MS181 https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:41:08Z 2016-03-29T08:41:08Z BREAKING: Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades says Egypt plane hijacking not related to "terrorism"
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:31:21Z 2016-03-29T08:31:21Z Map showing route of hijacked Egyptian airliner diverted to #Cyprus - four foreigners and crew still being held @AFP pic.twitter.com/lJsn6rtvde
— Nick Morrison (@nj_morrison) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:30:03Z 2016-03-29T08:30:03Z #BREAKING At least five more people freed from hijacked EgyptAir plane: AFP
— AFP news agency (@AFP) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:23:26Z 2016-03-29T08:23:26Z Alleged picture of the hijacker. Airport sources tell ONTV he is an Egyptian veterinarian with US citizenship https://t.co/4T69tTqvNL
— Sharif Kouddous (@sharifkouddous) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:21:01Z 2016-03-29T08:21:01Z Emergency Call Center
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016
Within Egypt 0800 77 77 000
International +2 02 25989320-29 -
2016-03-29T08:11:01Z 2016-03-29T08:11:01Z #EgyptAir ✈ #MS181 Hijacker Ibrahim Samaha teaches at Atlanta University, says Head of Burg Al-Arab airport. /via @DailyNewsEgypt
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:10:46Z 2016-03-29T08:10:46Z Cypriot police are reportedly escorting hijacker's ex-wife to Larnaca airport now.#EgyptAir ✈ #MS181
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:06:04Z 2016-03-29T08:06:04Z So he has hijacked this plane ✈ because he is in love with a Cypriot woman named Marina Paraschos? Seriously?! #EgyptAir #MS181
— Mrigank Tyagi (@immrigank) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T08:00:28Z 2016-03-29T08:00:28Z Alleged photo of #EgyptAir ✈ #MS181 hijacker. pic.twitter.com/Ub10Da2i0j
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:49:49Z 2016-03-29T07:49:49Z LIVE IMAGE: An official boards a hijacked #EgyptAir A320 Airbus at Larnaca Airport https://t.co/hXtBOEjhTC #Cyprus pic.twitter.com/3dGI66SblJ
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:48:17Z 2016-03-29T07:48:17Z ✈ #Cyprus state TV says hijacker 'just wants to deliver a message to his ex-wife who's Cypriot'. #EgyptAir #MS181
— Yannis Koutsomitis (@YanniKouts) March 29, 2016
😳 -
2016-03-29T07:46:38Z 2016-03-29T07:46:38Z Update - Cypriot state television reports #Egyptair flight #MS181 hijacker Ibrahim Samaha is asking for a translator and political asylum
— Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:42:43Z 2016-03-29T07:42:43Z Unconfirmed reports of hijacker's identity. No motive yet. #Egyptair #MS181 https://t.co/d2P03BKDTP
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:42:07Z 2016-03-29T07:42:07Z [Live] Hijacked #EgyptAir flight: 4 passengers & crew remain on plane – aviation officials https://t.co/19MB6MKzR8 https://t.co/Up84T1GqXe
— euronews (@euronews) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:36:27Z 2016-03-29T07:36:27Z Speculation: hijacker may not be looking to cause mass casualty event, probably has actual demands. -
2016-03-29T07:34:03Z 2016-03-29T07:34:03Z TV naming hijacker of #Egypt plane in #Cyprus as Ibrahim Samaha. Nationality not confirmed but not an uncommon Egyptian name
— Stephen Kalin (@stephenkalin) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:31:47Z 2016-03-29T07:31:47Z BREAKING Hijacker to send 4 pages written in Arabic to a woman living in Cyprus https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI pic.twitter.com/9AOok6ESYX
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:31:11Z 2016-03-29T07:31:11Z Plane apparently originated from Saudi Arabia - unsure where hijacker boarded. #egyptair #larnaca So far no reports of demands or claims.
— Ester Meerman (@estermeerman) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:28:51Z 2016-03-29T07:28:51Z #EgyptAir updated its statement, four foreigners and crew members remain on board, other passengers released #Cyprus
— Michael Horowitz (@michaelh992) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:28:24Z 2016-03-29T07:28:24Z #BREAKING: Egyptian Plane hijacked, lands in Cyprus https://t.co/cG0p2lT8Iw pic.twitter.com/xDo3av40w1
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:24:14Z 2016-03-29T07:24:14Z UPDATE #Hijack Fighter jets patrolling the airspace https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:20:52Z 2016-03-29T07:20:52Z #hijacked #Egyptair plane https://t.co/qhncTxqng3
— Bassam Za'za' (@bassamzaza) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:16:29Z 2016-03-29T07:16:29Z Plane had 81 people on board, flying from Alexandria to Cairo. Reportedly 8 Britons and 10 Americans on board. -
2016-03-29T07:15:45Z 2016-03-29T07:15:45Z Our flight MS181 is officially hijacked. we'll publish an official statement now. #Egyptair
— EGYPTAIR (@EGYPTAIR) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:14:40Z 2016-03-29T07:14:40Z Initial reports (which may prove incorrect) claim highjackers released women & children & requested political asylum. Suggests it's not ISIS
— Timothy E Kaldas (@tekaldas) March 29, 2016 -
2016-03-29T07:12:07Z 2016-03-29T07:12:07Z BREAKING Confirmation some passengers are disembarking the hijacked A320 https://t.co/tqFPgUKUbI pic.twitter.com/COazvu9Bas
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) March 29, 2016
