'Potential Hijack' Of An Oil Tanker Off The Coast Of The United Arab Emirates Is Over

 

Daily Mail: Oil tanker 'hijacked by Iranian forces' off the coast of UAE is now safe and boarders have left the vessel 

* Suspected hijacking of oil tanker off the coast of UAE is now over, UK has said 

* 'Boarders have left the vessel. Vessel is safe. Incident complete,' a statement from Britain's maritime safety agency said, without elaborating 

* It was thought the ship, identified as tanker Asphalt Princess, had been boarded by armed men with links to Iran or one of its proxies 

* Iran denied involvement, and it is still not clear who raiders were or why they left 

An oil tanker thought to have been hijacked off the coast of the UAE is now safe after boarders left the vessel, the UK's maritime security agency has said. 

'Boarders have left the vessel. Vessel is safe. Incident complete,' a brief warning notice issued Wednesday by United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said. 

Tracking data showed the vessel - believed to be the Panama-flagged Asphalt Princess, located 60 miles from the port of Fujairah - is now 'underway using engine' having previously shown it was 'stopped'.  

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Update: Hijacking ends in Arabian Sea, says UKMTO, as Oman identifies tanker involved (Reuters)  

WNU Editor: This is a very strange incident. I am sure more details will be made public in the coming days, but it illustrates how tense the situation has become between Israel and Iran.

Greek Police Arrest One Of The Terrorists In The 1985 Hijacking Of TWA Flight 847

Daily Mail: Greek police arrest man accused of brutal killing of US Navy diver whose body was dumped on Beirut airport tarmac during 17-day hijacking of TWA flight 847 in 1985

* TWA Flight 847 was hijacked in Athens on June 14, 1985 by Hezbollah who demanded the release of 700 Shi'ite Muslims from Israeli custody
* The jet was held for 17 days and forced to fly across the Mediterranean between Beirut and Algiers
* Some passengers were threatened and some beaten
* US Navy diver Robert Stethem was shot by the terrorists in Beirut and his body was thrown onto the apron
* The suspect, Mohammed Ali Hamadi, was later captured and sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany
* Hamadi was imprisoned in 1987 in West Germany for 19 years, but was paroled in 2005
* Hammadi rejoined Hezbollah upon his release from German prison and in 2007, the FBI announced a new $5 million reward for information leading to his recapture
* He was re-arrested in by police in Mykonos, Greece on September 21, 2019 after getting off a cruise ship
* Hezbollah denies culpability in the hijacking, among its denials of numerous other attacks they are blamed for

A Lebanese man accused of involvement in the hijacking of a TWA plane and the murder of a US navy diver has been arrested in Greece, police said on Saturday.

The 65-year-old was spotted by policemen in the island of Mykonos and detained on Thursday, a statement said.

Greek authorities said there was a European arrest warrant issued by Germany for the hijacking as well as a kidnapping committed in 1987.

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WNU Editor: He was paroled in 2005 by Germany, even though Washington demanded that he be extradited to the U.S.. It looks like he went back to Hezbollah to plot more attacks, hence the re-arrest. My memories of this hijacking are still vivid. Not only the brutal killing of a U.S. Navy diver who was a passenger aboard the plane, but how Germany completely caved into the terrorist demands.

More News On Greek Police Making An Arrest In The 1985 Hijacking Of TWA Flight 847

Greek police make arrest in 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 -- AP
TWA Flight 847: Greek police arrest aircraft hijacking suspect -- BBC
Greek police arrest suspect in 1985 TWA aircraft hijacking -- Reuters
Suspect arrested in Greece over 1985 TWA plane hijacking -- DW
Greek police arrest suspect in 1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacking -- FOX News

Plane 'Hijacker' Shot Dead By Bangladesh Special Forces

BBC: Bangladesh plane 'hijacker' shot dead by special forces

A passenger suspected of attempting to hijack a flight from Bangladesh to Dubai has been shot dead by Bangladeshi special forces, local media report.

The suspect, who reportedly warned he had a pistol, was killed when security forces stormed the plane after it made an emergency landing in Chittagong.

All 148 passengers and crew on board the Biman Bangladesh Airlines Flight BG147 disembarked safely.

It is not yet clear why the suspect may have attempted to hijack the plane.

Army officials said the man, believed to be aged 25, was initially wounded when shots were fired on Sunday but died shortly afterwards, AFP news agency reports.

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More News On Plane 'Hijacker' Shot Dead By Bangladesh Special Forces

Bangladesh commandos shoot purported hijacker of Biman Bangladesh plane -- Reuters
Bangladesh plane hijacker shot dead after emergency landing -- The Guardian/AFP
Hijacking foiled on Bangladesh-Dubai flight, suspect killed -- AP
Hijacking attempt on Dubai-bound flight leaves Bangladeshi man dead -- ABC News Online

Libya Malta Hijackers In Custody: Standoff in Malta Ends

BBC: Libya Malta hijack: Hijackers arrested

The hijackers of a Libyan jet have been arrested following a stand-off at Malta International Airport.

The domestic flight with 118 people on board was hijacked in the morning after taking off from Sabha, bound for the Libyan capital Tripoli.

They surrendered to Maltese authorities after most of the people had been released from the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320.

It remains unclear exactly how many hijackers were involved.

However, it appears they may be supporters of the late former leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

Read more ....

More News On The Libya Malta Hijackers In Custody

Malta hijack ends peacefully as Gaddafi loyalists surrender -- Reuters
The Latest: Malta PM: Hijackers of Libyan plane surrender -- AP
'Pro-Qaddafi' hijackers surrender after threat to blow up Libyan plane diverted to Malta -- FOX News
Hijackers surrender, leave Libyan plane with final crew members -- USA Today
Libyan plane hijackers surrender in Malta; passengers and crew freed -- Washington Post
Malta PM: Hijackers of Libyan Plane Surrender -- Bloomberg
Hijackers threaten to blow up Libyan plane; free 65 people -- AP
All passengers and crew freed from hijacked plane in Malta -- DW
Libya passenger jet hijacked, diverted to Malta -- Al Jazeera
Afriqiyah Airways hijackers releasing passengers, demanding creation of 'pro-Gaddafi party' -- RT

EgyptAir Plane Hijacked To Cyprus

CNN: EgyptAir hijacker identified; overtook plane because of ex-wife, officials say

(CNN)An Egyptian man hijacked an EgyptAir flight over his ex-wife, forcing the plane to land in Cyprus, officials said Tuesday.

Authorities identified the hijacker as Egyptian national Seif El Din Mustafa, presidential spokesman Alaa Yousuf said. Earlier, Yousuf identified the hijacker as an Egyptian-American dual citizen with a different name.

The Airbus 320 had at least 81 people on board, Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry said.

By midday Tuesday, many of the passengers had been released. But three passengers and four crew members remain on board, Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Sherif Fathy Ateyya said.

The hijacking is not related to terrorism, but rather the hijacker's ex-wife, a spokesman for the Cyprus Ministry of Transport said.

Egyptian authorities have been negotiating with the hijacker.

Read more ....

More News On An EgyptAir Plane Hijacked To Cyprus

The Latest: Cyprus police evacuate beach near hijacked plane -- AP
Egypt plane hijacked - latest -- BBC
Live Updates: Ahram Online
EgyptAir hijacking: at least four hostages leave grounded plane – live -- The Guardian
Egypt plane hijacked to Cyprus, 'no link to terrorism' -- AFP
EgyptAir plane diverted to Cyprus in standoff with hijacker -- Washington Post
EgyptAir hijack: Larnaca negotiations continue -- BBC
EgyptAir Hijack: 7 Hostages Held on Plane; Negotiations Ongoing -- ABC News
EgyptAir plane hijacked to Cyprus, most passengers freed -- Reuters
EgyptAir Plane Hijacker Frees Most Passengers After Cyprus Landing -- Bloomberg
EgyptAir plane hijacked flying from Alexandria to Cairo -- News.com.au
Grinning passenger poses for a SELFIE alongside hijacker wearing a 'suicide vest' before jet is forced to land in Cyprus where pilot jumps out of cockpit window to escape -- Daily Mail