Plane hijacked in Sudan flown to Libya

August 26, 2008 – A hijacking incident was unfolding Tuesday in a remote desert town of eastern Libya, where a plane destined for Sudan's capital was diverted shortly after takeoff in the southern Darfur region, officials said.

The passenger plane was diverted to Kufra, Libya after Egyptian authorities refused it entry, according to Sudanese and Libyan officials.

A man holding a knife had seized the aircraft, which was en route to Khartoum, according to a security official at the airport in Nyala, where the plane took off.

Authorities were reported to be on their way Kufra, which is in a desert area close to the Sudanese border.

A Sudanese official said the aircraft belongs to a private company, Sun Air, and was carrying 94 passengers — a mix of civilians and local Darfur officials — plus crew members.