Two hijackers shot dead on internal flight

Two hijackers were shot dead as they attempted to storm the cockpit of an Ethiopian passenger plane on an internal flight, the authorities confirmed on Monday.

The men, who were armed with knives, were killed by undercover security guards moments after announcing they were taking control of the plane. The unnamed Ethiopian hijackers struggled with cabin crew before they were shot.

The attempted hijacking occurred around half an hour into the one-hour flight from the northern town of Bahir Dar to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Sunday. The 42 passengers on board the Ethiopian Airlines Fokker-50 twin propeller plane were unharmed, although one crew member was injured.

So far the authorities have not been able to say why the two men, in their early twenties, tried to take over the plane.

“The plane arrived in Addis Ababa airport without any harm done to any of the people on board. The guards did a very effective job," Ethiopia's State Minister for Information Netsannet Asfaw told IRIN. “We have not received information yet on why they were trying to hijack the plane.”

The Bahar Dar to Addis Ababa flight is a popular route for tourists who travel to see the ancient monasteries on Lake Tana – the largest in the country – and the Blue Nile Falls. Ethiopian Airlines routinely carries security guards on its flights.