Bid to hijack plane to Libya thwarted: report

April 25th, 2011 - 7:21 am ICT by IANS  

Rome, April 25 (IANS) A bid to hijack a Rome-bound flight from Paris and be taken to Libyan capital Tripoli was thwarted Sunday, due to quick reaction of flight attendents and passengers on board, Xinhua cited Italian media stating.

According to media reports, the incident occurred when a man on the flight Sunday night attacked an air-hostess and tried to divert the flight to Tripoli. But he was stopped, thanks to the immediate reaction of some flight attendants and passengers on board.

The incident happened around 9.30 p.m. (local time) on flight AZ329 linking the two European capitals, local news agency Ansa reported.

The attacker tried to assault the flight attendant using a nail clipper blade.

The flight, with 131 passengers aboard, landed safely at Rome’s Fiuminico Airport. The attacker was handed over to the police, and the hostess, who only suffered minor injuries to the neck, was sent to an emergency room at the airport.

According to the report, the attacker, was identified as Valeriy Tolmachev, is a Kazakh citizen. He is 48.

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