[Reuters] LARNACA: A man thought to be strapped with explosives hijacked an Egyptian plane on a flight between Alexandria and Cairo on Tuesday and forced it to land in Cyprus, Egyptian officials said.
After the Egypt Air plane landed at Larnaca airport, the hijacker released all the people onboard except five foreign passengers and the crew, Egypt Air said.
About 60 people, including seven crew, had been on board, Egyptian and Cypriot officials said.
"The negotiations with the hijacker have resulted in the release of all the plane passengers with the exception of the crew and five foreigners," the airline said in a statement.
Egypt´s Civil Aviation Ministry said the plane's pilot, Omar al-Gammal, had informed authorities that he was threatened by a passenger wearing a suicide explosives belt and forced him to land in Larnaca.
A Cyprus Foreign Ministry official said he could not confirm the man was rigged with explosives. The hijacking occurred in Cyprus'´s flight information region. The plane was an Airbus 320, Egypt's aviation ministry said.
Eyptian state media named the hijacker as Ibrahim Samaha, an Egyptian, but gave no other details about him. Passengers on the plane included eight Britons and 10 Americans, three security sources at Alexandria airport said.
Yes, Samaha, Ibrahim Samaha. Please, just call me Sammy. Here is my card. You were expecting someone else ? 
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