Darfur hijackers surrender in Libya

August 27, 2008 (TRIPOLI) – The hijackers of a Sudanese airliner surrendered to Libyan authorities on Wednesday, several hours after all passengers on board were freed, a Libyan official said late today.

“They have now surrendered,” the official said from the airport in Kufra, a remote desert oasis in south-eastern Libya, where the plane was forced to land on Tuesday.

“The two hijackers were transported to one of the halls at Kufrah airport after giving themselves up,” Libyan state news agency Jana quoted aviation authority head Mohamed Shlibek as saying.

“That is now under investigation. All they have said is that they wanted to claim refugee status in Paris,” Abdel Hafiz Abdel Rahim said.

An airport official had said earlier that the hijackers were demanding a flight plan to Paris and fuel.

(ST)