The hijackers of a Libyan flight diverted to Malta surrendered peacefully Friday to Maltese authorities as the crisis came to an end and as
information surfaced on the perpetrators' motives.
One hijacker, who identified himself as Mousa Shaha, reportedly told a local Libyan television station that he was a member of Al Fatah Al Jadid, a political party supportive of late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, who was overthrown by Western-backed rebels in 2011, plunging the country into political turmoil. The hijackers insisted they were not affiliated with any terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda or the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, but instead took the plane to spread publicity for their newly formed party.
"We took this measure to declare and promote our new party," Shaha told Libya's Channel TV.
Meanwhile, a former aide to Gadhafi's son and former Libyan political figure Saif al-Islam Gadhafi named Mohammed Ismail told the Libyan outlet that Al Fatah Al Jadid's actions did not represent members of the former government.
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