Hijackers release all passengers & surrender

On 27 August 2008 Libyan officials announced that two hijackers have safely released all passengers on a commercial aircraft and have surrendered in the city of Kufra in southern Libya. The gunmen hijacked the Sun Air Boeing 737 aircraft shortly after it took off from Nyala Airport (HSNN/UYL) in the Darfur region of Sudan for Khartoum on 26 August. The hijackers then forced the pilots to divert the flight to an airstrip in Kufra, where Libyan officials began negotiations with the gunmen; the stand-off lasted approximately 22 hours. Reports indicate that there were originally 87 passengers and eight crewmembers on the flight. The hijackers identified themselves as Darfur rebels with the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) militant group. SLM leadership has denied any connection with the hijackers.