Managua, Sunday.

AN ARMED Salvadoran man hijacked a Panamanian jetliner and forced it

to land in Nicaragua.

Angel Salgueda Nunez, 30, freed 67 passengers and later two crew

members before his arrest. He demanded political asylum in Nicaragua.

The hijacker boarded the plane during a stop at San Salvador in El

Salvador. It was not known what his weapon was.

The man demanded to be flown to Mexico City but the pilot told him the

plane only had fuel enough to reach Managua.--AP.