News Article by XINHUA posted on August 27, 2008 at 17:15:34: EST (-5 GMT)
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Sudan's president terms plane hijacking as cheap terrorist act KHARTOUM, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir on Wednesday termed the hijacking of the Sudanese plane as "a cheap terrorist act". Al-Bashir made the remarks during a press conference held at Juba, the capital of southern Sudan, according to a report of the official SUNA news agency. He noted that all passengers aboard the plane, which was hijacked from Niyala in South Darfur State in the restive western Sudanese region of Darfur on Tuesday, were freed safely at Al-Kufrah Airport in southeastern Libya. He disclosed that the Sudanese government had asked Libya to prevent the plane from departure, pointing out that the plane was hijacked by two persons without mentioning their nationalities. The plane, a Boeing 737 and carrying 87 passengers, was hijacked after departing Niyala en route to the Sudanese capital Khartoum. The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has called on the Libyan authorities to arrest the hijackers and deport them to Khartoum. A statement issued by the Sudanese Foreign Ministry earlier Wednesday slammed "the terrorist act" and urged the international community to condemn it. The ministry further said it conducting contacts with the "very helpful" Libyan officials as the crisis entered its second day in order to end the hijacking and to organize the return of the released passengers. |