Women and children 'released from hijack plane'
All the women and children have been released from a Russian plane which has been hijacked and forced to land at a Saudi airport.
Two Chechen men, who claim to have a bomb aboard the plane carrying 174 people, made demands after it left Istanbul and dived 10,000ft as one of the men struggled with a pilot.
Officials at the airport in the holy Muslim city of Medina, say the women and children were released four hours after the plane landed.
They have not stated how many people were released, but the official Saudi Press Agency has reported that 14 elderly people, women and children have been released.
On landing at Medina, the hijackers said they wanted permission to fly on to Afghanistan, Saudi officials at the airport said.
In Medina, the plane, filled with pilgrims preparing to go home after the annual Muslim pilgrimage, was surrounded by security forces and was parked away from the main traffic at the airport, said Abdul Fatah Mohammad Atta, Medina airport manager.
Mr Atta says a Saudi team has begun negotiating with the hijackers. Negotiations are proving difficult because the hijackers speak neither English or Arabic. Russian diplomats have been called from the city of Jeddah, 200 miles south of Medina, to help, he added.
A Saudi security official says there is no intention of raiding the plane and airport officials say flights to and from the city are proceeding normally.
Airport officials say the hijackers have allowed food and beverages to be taken aboard the plane. They add passengers are tired and uncomfortable, but appear to be otherwise well. They said the pilots have locked themselves inside the cockpit after landing.
