JUBA – Relief organization Samaritan’s Purse has confirmed the hijacking of its plane by a gunman in South Sudan on Tuesday, and commended security officers for swift response.
The charity explained in a statement the Caravan aircraft was supposedly headed for Maiwut in Upper Nile State to deliver medicines to health facilities there.
Following the skyjacking, the pilot was eventually able to land the plane in Wau, Western Bahr El Ghazal State, where the armed intruder was taken into custody by the National Security Service.
In a statement, the charity said it was grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome.
“We praise God that no one was seriously injured, and we are grateful to the security forces for their support and swift action on the ground to resolve the situation and bring a safe outcome,” the religious charity said.
The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority also confirmed the incident yesterday, saying a plane was diverted to Wau after an attempted hijacking incident.
The aviation authority said the aircraft operating a domestic flight was diverted earlier in the day and that the situation was swiftly contained through coordinated efforts by the flight crew, local airport authorities and security agencies.
“The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA) confirms that an aircraft operating a domestic flight earlier today was diverted to Wau, where it landed safely without any reported injuries to passengers or crew,” it said.
“Upon landing, the situation was immediately contained through coordinated efforts between the flight crew, local airport authorities, and security agencies, at this stage details surrounding the incident remain under investigation.”
The plane hijack incident is the first ever to occur in South Sudan. Authorities are yet to disclose more information about the hijacker and his motive.
