Saudi security forces today stormed a Russian plane hijacked by men believed to be Chechens, Saudi airport officials said. ``The operation ended and the hostages are freed,`` one official at Medina airport told Reuters.
Witnesses said three hijackers had been arrested. The hijackers commandeered the plane after taking off from Istanbul on a flight to Moscow on Thursday. The plane was carrying 162 passengers and 12 crew.
Saudi and Russian officials had said that up to 47 hostages had been released or escaped earlier. The hijackers were demanding that Russia end its campaign against rebels in its breakaway province of Chechnya.
Bureau Report