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EgyptAir Hijacking: Negotiations Ongoing, Authorities Treating Threat as ‘Real’

March 29, 2016
Photo: Reuters

Negotiations with the hijacker of EgyptAir’s flight MS181 are ongoing and security officials are treating the hijacker’s threats as real, Egypt’s Minister of Civil Aviation Sherif Fathy said in a press conference Tuesday. According to the minister, the hijacker claims to be wearing a suicide belt and, while authorities remain unsure whether the belt is real, they are “carefully” dealing with the security threat as real. Fathy said that there are currently seven people still on the plane, including the plane’s pilot and co-pilot, one air hostess, a security official and three passengers. He declined to disclose the passengers’ nationalities. Fathy also said that the hijacker’s demands “are not yet known” and that negotiations are still underway. Following the presser, Cyprus’ state broadcasting reported that the hijacker has demanded the release of prisoners in Egypt. However, Cypriot President  stated earlier that the hijacker is “not a terrorist” and has “personal motives” for the hijacking. The Guardian also quoted an “official” from Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying the hijacker is “not a terrorist, he’s an idiot. Terrorists are crazy but they aren’t stupid. This guy is.” Egypt’s MFA spokesman Ahmed…


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