Three people, including a stewardess, have been killed as Saudi special forces stormed a hijacked Russian airliner.

Paramedics said the woman flight attendant was knifed and shot to death and two men were gunned down.

Reports are coming in that one passenger, a flight attendant and a hijacker have been killed as Saudi forces stormed the hijacked airliner at Medina airport.

Saudi security forces have taken positions around a hijacked Russian plane as negotiations resume to end a stand-off with Chechen hijackers.