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CAIRO – An Egyptian opposition figure was detained earlier this week at Luxor airport in southern Egypt while en route to Turkey, according to a statement released by the We Record human rights group on Thursday.

Hossam Menoufi Salam was on a Badr airline flight from the Sudanese capital Khartoum to Turkey on Wednesday, when the flight's captain informed the passenger that he would make an emergency landing in Luxor airport due to a malfunction in the plane, We Record reported, citing witnesses.

Upon landing in Luxor, Salam was detained and taken to the state security office at the airport for questioning, the statement read.

Since then, there has been no means to contact Salam while his whereabouts have been unknown.

Salam has been one of the leading members of Hasm , which is designated a terrorist group by Egypt as well as the State Department.

The Egyptian government says Hasm is the militant wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, but the group has distanced itself from the armed movement.

Wanted since 2017 by the Egyptian authorities, Salam has fled Egypt to Sudan, according to news reports.

Hasm has allegedly been behind  several terrorist attacks that had targeted civilians, , and in Egypt in recent years.