ISTANBUL, Nov 18: Turkish police were questioning a suspect on Monday after security guards aboard the Israeli airline El-Al flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul foiled a hijacking attempt the previous night.

The would-be hijacker, apparently an Israeli Arab, tried to enter the cockpit with a knife, but was swiftly overpowered by El Al guards on the flight, which had 170 passengers on board.

The plane landed safely at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport, where the suspected hijacker was taken into custody.

“One person was overpowered on board and is now in questioning at the airport’s police station,” an airport spokesman said.

The detainee was later taken to the anti-terror headquarters of the Istanbul police.

The airport spokesman in Istanbul said he had no details on the identity of the hijacker. But the Anatolia news agency reported, without quoting any sources, that the hijacker was a 23-year-old Arab named Tawfiq Fukra. investigated.—AFP