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Hijackers who flew a Libyan plane to Malta have released 65 passengers, including most of the women and children on board, and are in negotiations about the fate of 63 other people still being held, the Guardian reports citing the statement made by the country’s prime minister.

Negotiations were underway by early afternoon, and the first releases were announced soon after Muscat spoke to his Libyan counterpart Faez al Serraj.

“First group of passengers, consisting of women and children, being released now,” Muscat said on Twitter, without giving details of the conditions of their escape. Further announcements followed shortly.

To note, the Airbus A320, operated by the state-owned airline Afriqiyah Airways, was hijacked on an internal route between the cities of Sabha and Tripoli. There were 111 passengers and 7 crew on board, with one Libyan law maker named as Abdel-Salam al-Marabet reported on the passenger list.