Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades said the EgyptAir hijacking incident is “not something which has to do with terrorism.”
President Anastasiades added that the Government of Cyprus is doing its utmost so that all passengers on the EgyptAir flight which has been hijacked are safe. He spoke on the sidelines of a meeting Tuesday with the president of the European Parliament.
Anastasiades says “we are doing our utmost in order for everyone to be released and safe and to give an end to this unprecedented (incident). In any case it is not something which has to do with terrorism.”
EgyptAir said negotiations at Larnaca airport had resulted in the release of all those on board, apart from the crew and four foreign passengers.
The majority of the passengers on board the hijacked Egyptian airplane forced to divert to Cyprus have been freed, the airline says, BBC reported.
Reports said the lone hijacker wanted to talk to his estranged Cypriot wife, who is now on the way to the airport.
More people have subsequently been seen leaving the aircraft. It remains unclear precisely how many people are still on board.