Israel scrambles warplanes in airspace after Egyptian plane hijack

The Israel Air Force scrambled fighter jets after learning of the hijacked Egyptian civilian airliner to prevent the possibility of an intrusion into Israeli air space, an Israeli army spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

After the hijacked plane landed in Cyprus, the jets returned to base, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Israeli diplomats have said it is unlikely that there are Israelis on board the flight. 

An Egyptair domestic flight from Alexandria to Cairo was hijacked on Tuesday and landed in Cyprus, Egyptian officials said.

After the EgyptAir plane landed at Larnaca airport, the hijacker released seven, EgyptAir said.

Source: MENA