China: teen girl behind hijack attempt

Beijing: Chinese state media says a 19-year-old girl from western China has confessed to trying to hijack a passenger plane earlier this month.

The official Xhinua news agency said she had confessed to the “terrorist'' attempt. The March 7 flight from Beijing to Urumqi, the capital of China's Muslim Xinjiang region was diverted to Lanzhou, in western Gansu province, after passengers were reportedly found with suspicious liquids.

The report said the teenager was from China's Uighur minority ethnic group. Officials said the attempted attack was part of efforts to gain independence from China.