Security guards killed two men as they attempted to hijack an Ethiopian domestic flight in mid-air yesterday, the Ethiopian News Agency reported.
The Ethiopian Airlines plane, which had been on a domestic flight from the northern town of Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa, was carrying 42 passengers and landed safely.
State television reported the men were armed with knives. Ethiopian Airlines routinely carries security guards on its flights. No passengers were harmed during the incident, although one of the crew sustained a minor injury, ENA said.
Hijackers diverted an Ethiopian domestic flight to the capital of neighboring Sudan in April last year, pulling a pin from a grenade and threatening to blow up the aircraft.
The five hijackers, who were students and trainee air force pilots, surrendered and released the hostages unharmed hours after landing in Khartoum. The hijacked military Antonov 12 plane had been carrying air force personnel and their families.