Two people were arrested after an incident that caused British fighter jets to escort a Pakistan Airlines flight as it was diverted.
Fighter jets were sent to escort the plane as two British passengers allegedly threatened to destroy the aircraft. The flight, carrying more than 300 people from Pakistan, was diverted to an isolated runway at an airport outside of London, the Associated Press reports.
British authorities said the situation on the Pakistan International Airlines flight doesn't appear to be terror-related. Police are still investigating the incident. This latest event occurs just days after a radical Islamist killed a soldier on a London street
According to a Pakistani official that was briefed by British police, the two suspects, who were speaking Urdu, reportedly said they were going to "destroy the plane" after they got into an argument with the crew.
Pakistan International Airlines flight P708 was headed from Lahore, Pakistan, to Manchester Airport when it was guided by fighter jets to Stansted Airport. According to the British Ministry of Defense, Typhoon jets were launched to investigate an incident involving a civilian aircraft. There were no other details provided.
Witnesses described the scene on board. Passenger Nauman Rizvi told Pakistan's GEO TV that the two men tried to rush the cockpit. They were handcuffed and arrested when the plane landed. Rizvi said that the passengers were told that there was a terrorist threat.
Police in Essex were notified at 1:20 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Armed forces boarded the Boeing 777 when it landed at 2:15 p.m. The British nationals, aged 30 and 41, were arrested for potentially putting the airline in danger.
The suspects were taken to the police station, where they were being questioned. Forensic specialists will examine the aircraft, but no evidence of explosives has been found yet.
"This incident is being treated as a criminal offense," a police statement said, suggesting that it wasn't a terrorism case.
Airline spokesman, Mashood Tajwar said that there were 297 passengers and 11 crew members on board. The passengers were interviewed after the flight landed.
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