Egyptian security agencies have managed to reveal the identity of the hijacker of the EgyptAir passenger plane, well-placed sources said on Tuesday.

The Egyptian man, Ibrahim Samaha, was sitting on seat no. 38k, according to the sources. 

Earlier in the day, an EgyptAir Airbus A320, carrying 56 passengers, seven crew members and a security guard on board, was hijacked and forced to divert to Larnaca Airport in Cyprus.

A well-placed source at Egypt's flag carrier airline said in a statement that flight MS181 passenger plane was originally travelling from Alexandra's Borg El Arab Airport to Cairo. 

Source : MENA