A British man was among three prisoners released in a deal struck to end the eight-day Indian airline hijacking, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

London-based Islamic militant Ahmad Omar Sayyed Sheikh, 26, detained in Delhi since 1994, was released by India in the bargain to free 155 hostages on board the plane.

The five armed hijackers left the Indian Airlines Airbus minutes after the arrival of a plane carrying Mr Sheikh and two other freed prisoners arrived at Afghanistan's Kandahar airport.

Mr Sheikh was freed along with Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, chief commander of the rebel group Ul-Umar Mujahideen, and Pakistani religious leader Masood Azhar.

The hijackers had initially requested the release of 36 prisoners in the eight-day incident which was connected to the unrest in the disputed Kashmir territory.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "He [Mr Sheikh] has been detained in Delhi since 1994 awaiting trial.

"The final charges have not yet been levelled against him by the Indian authorities.

"We have been providing him with consular protection since his arrest as we do for all British nationals who are detained abroad."

Although the hijack ended peacefully, one passenger was stabbed to death - reportedly for ignoring a warning not to look at the hijackers.

The Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are relieved that the remaining hostages on board Indian Airline flight IC814 have been released without any further bloodshed.

"Our deepest sympathy goes to the family of the passenger who was murdered.

"The EU presidency issued a statement on December 29, with which the UK was fully associated, condemning this hijacking."

The hijackers seized the plane 40 minutes after it took off from Katmandu, Nepal, on a scheduled flight to New Delhi on 24 December.