Plane hijacking attempt foiled in China

The crew and passengers Friday foiled an attempt to hijack an aircraft in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, police said.

Six people tried to hijack Tianjin Airlines' Flight GS 7554 just 10 minutes after it took off from the Hotan airport at 12.25 p.m., sources said.

The aircraft was on route to provincial capital Urumqi, said a statement from the region's Public Security Bureau. Crew members and passengers overpowered the hijackers and the plane then flew back and safely landed on the Hotan Airport, the statement added.

The six suspects are now in police custody.