SUDAN: An attempt by a Saudi gunman to hijack a plane in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, was foiled yesterday.
Guards on board the Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Khartoum to the Saudi city of Jeddah disarmed and arrested the would-be hijacker, who was carrying a pistol, the airline said in a statement carried by the official Saudi press agency. No one was injured, it said.
The aircraft had 204 passengers and crew on board, Saudi and Sudanese officials said.
It returned safely to Khartoum International Airport, where the authorities interrogated the hijacker.
The airline said the gunman had tried to take control of flight 450 just 22 minutes after it took off with 185 passengers and 19 crew on board.
The motive for the attack was unknown.
The Saudi statement gave no motive for the hijack attempt. It said the plane would leave for Saudi Arabia as soon as Sudanese authorities gave permission.
The Sudanese statement said the plane had been about 700 kilometres from Khartoum Airport when the hijack attempt took place.
"The plane was inspected for explosives. None were found and the security authority began investigations with the hijacker," said a Sudanese government statement.
Earlier, Egypt's Middle East New Agency (Mena) quoted Sudanese sources as saying three Saudi hijackers were involved in the incident, and that there were apparently some passengers hurt.
In October 2000, two Saudi youths hijacked a Jeddah-to-London Saudi Arabian Airlines flight to Baghdad, with 90 passengers on board.
This latest incident comes just over a month after the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks by suicide hijackers against the United States.