TWO hijackers threatening a passenger jet with hand grenades have released all 117 hostages and surrendered to Malta authorities.

The plane — carrying 117 people, not 118 as was initially reported — was commandeered by the pair earlier today while flying internally within Libya, and redirected to Malta International Airport.

media_camera Passengers disembark the hijacked plane in Malta. Picture: TVM via AP

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the men had a grenade and a handgun, while a second gun was found in a search of the aircraft, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said.

“They were found to be in possession of a hand grenade and a pistol” when asked to surrender their weapons, Muscat told reporters after the two who took over the Afriqiyah Airways flight were arrested.

“The armed forces of Malta are conducting a full search of the aircraft and a second pistol has been found so far,” he said.

Muscat outlined negotiations between the Maltese military and the hijackers.

media_camera Passengers are released from a Libyan jet, which had been hijacked. Picture: AFP/Matthew Mirabelli

“The hijackers were told that in order for any discussions to be entertained they should release all passengers first,” he said.

“This request was negotiated and eventually accepted and passengers were released in consecutive groups.

media_camera Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the men had a grenade and a handgun, while a second gun was found in a search of the aircraft. Picture: AFP/Tobias Schwarz

“Two crew members were also released while another four were detained for a period of time,” he added.

Following further negotiations “the hijackers agreed to free the remaining members of the crew and to surrender,” he continued.

Hijackers surrendered, searched and taken in custody. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Final crew members leaving aircraft with hijackers. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Muscat said the hijackers had made no claim for political asylum, even though Libyan Foreign Minister Taher Siala said that was what they were seeking.

The flight had contained six crew members and 111 passengers — including a baby and Libyan politician Abdel-Salam al-Marabet.

A colleague of al-Marabet, Youssef Kalikori, said he had been talking by phone to al-Marabet, who said the hijackers had demanded “asylum in a European country where they can establish a political party named al-Fateh that represents the old (Libyan) regimen”.

media_camera Passengers are released off of a hijacked Libyan plane. Picture: AFP/Matthew Mirabelli/ Malta OUT

Footage of the standoff showed one man waving an old-style green Libyan flag on the plane’s steps.

The jet was flying from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli for state-owned Afriqiyah Airways, a route that would usually take a little over two hours, when the hijacking occurred.

The pilot had tried to land in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, but was stopped by the hijackers.

The hijackers, who reportedly had hand grenades, threatened to blow the plane up, outlets including the Times of Malta reported.

One hijacker reportedly told crew he was “pro-Gaddafi” and that he was willing to let all 111 passengers leave the Airbus A320, but not its six crew, if his demands were met, the Times of Malta said.

media_camera Passengers depart the hijacked plane. Picture: AFP/Matthew Mirabelli/Malta OUT

Photographs of the standoff showed the jet surrounded by troops on the runway. The tiny island of Malta is located in the Mediterranean 300 miles north of Libya. All flights in and out of Malta International Airport have been diverted.

A senior Libyan security official said when the plane was still in flight the pilot told the control tower at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport it had been hijacked.

media_camera Passengers disembark the plane in Malta. Picture: AFP/Matthew Mirabelli/Malta OUT

“The pilot reported to the control tower in Tripoli that they were being hijacked, then they lost communication with him. The pilot tried very hard to have them land at the correct destination but they refused.”

Negotiating teams then made contact with the two men, both of whom are believed to be Libyan nationals, Sky News reported.

media_camera A hijacked Afriqiyah Airways A320 sits on the tarmac at Malta International airport. Picture: TVM via AP

A Libyan member of parliament who spoke to his colleague on board the flight claimed the hijackers were in their mid-twenties and from the Tebu, an ethnic group in southern Libya from where the plane departed.

The jet was flying from Sebha in southwest Libya to Tripoli for state-owned Afriqiyah Airways, a route that would usually take a little over two hours, when the hijacking occurred.

The pilot had tried to land in Tripoli, the Libyan capital, but was stopped by the hijackers, The Times of Malta reported.

Potentially 2 hijackers and some crew members still on board aircraft. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Crew members being released. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Further 44 passengers being released. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

65 passengers released so far. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Release of second group of 25 passengers underway. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

First 25 passengers released. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

First group of passengers, consisting of women and children, being released now. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

The Afriqiyah Airways plane, which was heading from Sabha in southern Libya to the capital Tripoli, was redirected and landed at Valletta, a source from Libya’s unity government told AFP, asking not to be named.

“Negotiations are underway to guarantee the security of all the passengers,” the source said, without specifying who was negotiating.

Informed of potential hijack situation of a #Libya internal flight diverted to #Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by -JM — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

The #Afriqiyah flight from #Sabha to #Tripoli has been diverted and has landed in #Malta. Security services coordinating operations. — Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) December 23, 2016

Earlier, Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted: “Informed of potential hijack situation of a #Libya internal flight diverted to #Malta. Security and emergency operations standing by -JM”.

“The Afriqiyah flight from Sabha to Tripoli has been diverted and has landed in Malta. Security services co-ordinating operations.”

“It has been established that Afriqiyah flight has 111 passengers on board. 82 males, 28 females, 1 infant,” Mr Muscat said. There are also six crew members.

Libya has been in a state of chaos since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi left warring militias battling for control of different parts of the country.

media_camera The hijacked plane on the tarmac in Malta. Picture: AP Photo/Jonathan Borg

Forces loyal to a fledgling national unity government recently took control of the coastal city of Sirte, which had been a bastion for the Islamic State group since June 2015.

Western powers have pinned their hopes of containing jihadism in the energy-rich North African state on the government but it has failed to establish its authority over all of the country.

A rival authority rules the country’s far east, backed by the forces under military strongman Marshal Khalifa Haftar, who have been battling jihadists in second city Benghazi.

media_camera Two men with hand grenades reported threatened to blow up this Libyan passenger jet. Picture: AFP/Matthew Mirabelli

Originally published as Libyan plane hijackers in custody