Hijackers of Turkish plane surrender after people onboard escape

Hijackers of a Turkish plane headed to Istanbul from Cyprus surrendered on Saturday after 142 people onboard escaped unhurt.

Ankara, Aug 18 : Hijackers of a Turkish plane headed to Istanbul from Cyprus surrendered on Saturday after 142 people onboard escaped unhurt.

Two men tried to divert the Atlast Jet plane to Iran, when the pilot landed the aircraft in the southern Turkish city of Antalya, claiming that it needed refuelling.

After the plane landed, the hijackers asked the women and children to leave. But as soon as the emergency exits were opened almost everyone rushed out.

The two pilots also jumped from the cockpit on the tarmac.

Finally, all passengers and crew members were released unharmed and the hijackers surrendered.

One of the hijackers was a Turkish national and the other had a Syrian passport, BBC quoted Turkey's Interior Ministry as saying.

Motive behind the hijack is not known. The Interior Ministry officials are questioning the hijackers.

Although, the men are believed to have had no guns, passengers told about a suspect package that might have been a bomb.

According to an Atlas Jet official, there were 136 passengers and six crew onboard when the plane left Ercan Airport in Northern Cyprus.

ANI