20000304

Hijacked plane returns to Afghanistan

KABUL: An Afghan Ariana jet, which was hijacked on a domestic flight and flown to London, returned to Afghanistan on Friday, Taliban aviation officials said.

The Boeing 727 landed at Mazar-i-Sharif airport in northern Afghanistan at about 12:10 pm (0710 GMT), an Ariana operations official said.

The official, who did not want to be named, told AFP the plane had stopped to refuel in Russia. It had been due to land at Kabul but was diverted because of bad weather.

It will return to the Afghan capital after the weather improves, he said.

The aircraft was hijacked on a flight out of Kabul last month and was forced to fly through central Asia to London.

The Afghan Islamic Press, a Pakistan based private news agency, said the plane was flown by the same crew who were piloting the plane when it was hijacked.

It said none of the crew had sought asylum in Britain.

Negotiators at Stansted airport north of London brought the hijacking to a peaceful end on February 10 when the hijackers gave themselves up.

Britain said on Wednesday it would give refugee status to eight of the passengers but turned down asylum requests for a further 27 people and their five dependents.

Police have charged 14 people in connection with the hijacking. More than 70 passengers returned to Afghanistan last month.

Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia on Thursday said they would welcome the return home of the remaining passengers but demanded Britain punish the hijackers to prevent more hijackings.ÑAPP