File photo taken on Jan. 31, 2011 shows anEgyptAir plane taking off at the Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt. Hijacked Egyptian passenger plane lands at Larnaca Airport in Cypus on March 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

NICOSIA, March 29 -- The hijacker who forced an Egyptian plane to land in Cyprus is strapped with a suicide explosive belt, the Cypriot state-run broadcaster said on Tuesday.

The hijacker has released all women and children of Egyptian passenger plane but kept all men on board.

A total of 55 passengers and a crew of seven are on the plane, which was originally said to carry 81 people.

Informed sources said the hijacker also let free two bishops of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, Metroplitans Damaskinos and Nikodemos. They are of Greek origin.