Sudan Plane Hijacking

A plane operated by the Sudanese airline Sun Air was hijacked shortly after taking off from the city of Nyala, in the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan. The plane, carrying 95 passengers, first attempted to land in Cairo, Egypt, but was denied permission and proceeded to land in Kufra, an oasis town in the deserts of Libya. After a standoff, two of the hijackers surrendered on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. Officials believe that other hijackers may have gotten away by posing as passengers.¹

Fast Facts

1. Departed: Nyala, Darfur, Sudan, on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
2. Destination: Khartoum, Sudan
3. Hijacked shortly after take-off
4. Attempted to land in Cairo, Egypt
5. Landed in Kufra, Libya
6. Two of the hijackers surrendered²
7. Actual number of hijackers is unclear¹
8. Authorities say the hijackers were Darfur rebels²
9. Passengers: 95

2 Hijackers Surrender

After a 22-hour standoff two of the hijackers surrendered on Wednesday, August 27, 2008. Authorities believe there may have been other hijackers who may have left among the passengers who were released.²

Related Pages on Mahalo

Sudan | Darfur | 9-11 | Libya | Egypt

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