A Libyan plane has been reported hijacked by two people and has landed in the Mediterranean island of Malta. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat has tweeted that he had already been alerted of a "potential hijack" of a Libyan plane which reported to be headed for Malta.

The plane, had been carrying 118 people, including seven crew members. The had  landed in Malta at 11.32 AM local time, according to the Malta Times. Maltese media had reported that the hijacked plane, flight number 8U209, left Sabha in South West Libya and was scheduled to arrive in Tripoli at 11.20 AM. But it had been diverted to the tiny island of Malta. The flight has been operated by Afriqiyah Airways.

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According to the local reports, the hijackers have threatened to blow up the plane. Malta Times added that all emergency teams have already been dispatched to the site.

Libya has been in a unstable situation since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gadhafi left warring militias battling for control of different parts of the country. Forces loyal to a fledgling national unity government has recently taken control of the coastal city of Sirte, which had been a bastion for the Islamic State group since June 2015.

By Prakriti Neogi