Security services in Malta have started an operation to handle the Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 diverted to the island during an apparent hijack.

The aircraft has 111 passengers on board, according to the Maltese prime minister, Joseph Muscat.

He states that the jet had been conducting an internal flight from Sebha to Tripoli before it was diverted.

ADS-B surveillance data indicates that the service involved is flight 8U209. Preliminary information, unverified, suggests the Afriqiyah aircraft is 5A-ONB.

There are conflicting reports from Malta about the number of perpetrators on board the jet.

Source: Cirium Dashboard