Omg! Hijacker Forced Jet To Land In Cyprus So He Can See His Ex-wife
#1 Egyptian man Ibrahim Samaha, 27, hijacked AN EgyptAir domestic flight traveling from Alexandria to Cairo
#2 The Egyptian man has been branded an 'idiot' by his foreign ministry.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement: 'He's not a terrorist, he's an idiot. Terrorists are crazy but they aren't stupid. This guy is,' according to Cairo-based journalist Ruth Michaelson.
#3 The man was trying to get in touch with his ex-wife in Cyprus, According to reports.
#4 Samaha demanded to see his Cypriot ex-wife who lives on the island.
#5 A picture shows the moment Samaha hands over a four-page letter intended for his ex-wife, as a female official stands with her head in her hands.
#6 Egyptian government officials said the hijacker initially wanted to go to Istanbul in Turkey but was told by the captain there was not enough fuel.
#7 Alexandria airport director Hossni Hassan said:
26 foreigners were aboard the flight, including eight Americans, four Britons, four Dutch, two Belgians, an Italian, a French national, two Greeks and one Syrian.
Three other foreigners could not be identified.
#9 Egyptian media said the hostage taker is 40-year-old American but other reports said he is a 27-year-old Arab man Ibrahim Samaha.
According to an Alexandria University staff website, his full name is Ibrahim Abdel Tawab Samaha, and his specialises in health food control of milk and dairy products.
#10 Cypriot president Nicos Anastasiades has said the Egyptian plane hijacking is not related to terrorism.
#11 EgyptAir said,
Negotiations with Samaha has since resulted in the release of a majority of the hostages, except for the crew and four foreigners
#12 Passengers are reunited with their luggage on the tarmac after being allowed off the plane
#13 A passenger with a suicide belt threatened the pilot of a hijacked EgyptAir plane
..that was diverted to Cyprus on Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.
Questions have been raised as to how the hijacker was able to embark on the plane wearing the suicide vest.
#14 The incident will raise questions over security at Egyptian airports.
