An EgyptAir airliner has been hijacked and forced to divert to Larnaca airport on the south coast of Cyprus, where some of the hostages have been released from the plane. Reports suggest that those released were all Egyptian. 

The hostage taker, who has asked for asylum in Cyprus, has also requested for a letter to be handed to a person in Cyprus, believed to be his ex-wife. 

The hijacker told the pilot that he’s wearing a suicide belt. He has been named on social media as Egyptian national, Ibrahim Samaha. Cypriot police are still to confirm that the hijacker is indeed wearing a suicide belt.

Flight MS181, an Airbus A320 was carrying 81 passengers from Alexandria to Cairo but started its journey in Saudi Arabia. It is believed that 12 people are still on the plane, this includes crew and five foreign nationals (believed to be English, Irish and Italian). 

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Larnaca airport has been closed and scheduled flights diverted elsewhere.