Iran arrests would-be hijacker on Syria-bound plane

A number of Iranian lawmakers were on Teheran-Damascus flight; Revolutionary Guard says suspect affiliated with opposition group.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Iran Air 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Iran Air 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
TEHERAN, Iran— A man attempting to hijack a Syria-bound flight carrying a number of Iranian lawmakers was arrested on board, Iran's state radio reported Saturday.
Security guards on the Teheran-Damascus flight thwarted the attempt and arrested the suspect, the report said. No one was hurt.
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The radio report said an unspecified number of Iranian lawmakers were on the plane en route to a parliamentary conference in Damascus. It did not provide further details.
The semi-official Fars news agency said the incident happened minutes before the Iran Air flight landed in the Syrian capital.
Fars quoted Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Nushabadi as saying the suspect, who appeared to be mentally unstable, said he was intending to hijack the Airbus plane but that security guards arrested the unarmed man.
Iran's most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, which is also responsible for air security, claimed in a statement late Saturday that the suspect was affiliated with an unspecified Iranian opposition group. It did not provide further details.