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Hijackers of Libyan plane have surrendered, says Malta's prime minister

An Afriqiyah Airways plane stands on the tarmac at Malta's Luqa International airport as passengers depart, Friday, December 23, 2016. Hijackers diverted the Libyan commercial plane to Malta on Friday and threatened to blow it up with hand grenades, Maltese authorities and state media said
An Afriqiyah Airways plane stands on the tarmac at Malta's Luqa International airport as passengers depart, Friday, December 23, 2016. Hijackers diverted the Libyan commercial plane to Malta on Friday and threatened to blow it up with hand grenades, Maltese authorities and state media said

The hijacking of a Libyan plane is over after the hijackers gave themselves up, according to Malta's prime minister.

In a series of tweets, Joseph Muscat said the hijackers left the plane along with its final crew members after earlier freeing all the passengers from a flight that was diverted to his country.

The hijackers, he said, had "surrendered" and been searched and taken into custody.