The Hijacking and Diversion
On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines airline 814, a domestic airline, was taken over by terrorists. While traveling from Kathmandu, Nepal to New Delhi, India, five militants from the Pakistan-based organization Harkat-ul-Mujahideen hijacked the aircraft. Armed with firearms and bombs, the hijackers took the aircraft to multiple sites before arriving at their intended target.
The Distraction and Hijacking
1-First Hijacking: The hijackers assumed control of the airplane shortly after it took off from Kathmandu and pretended to be passengers. They made their demands known and threatened to murder the passengers if they weren't satisfied. 155 people, including crew, were on board the aircraft.
2-Divert to Lahore:
Lahore, Pakistan, was the initial destination. The hijackers first tried to take sanctuary there after landing, but they were turned away. The After being refueled, the aircraft was cleared to take off once more.
3-Subsequent Diversions: The hijackers proceeded to negotiate when the plane was diverted to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Despite a number of accommodations, they wouldn't allow the passengers to disembark from the aircraft.
Reaching Kandahar
4-Landing in Kandahar: The hijackers ultimately made the decision to fly to Kandahar, a city in southern Afghanistan, when the talks broke down. By now their fuel was running low and things were getting more and more stressful.
5-Kandahar's current state: The Taliban, who were in charge of the area at the time, surrounded the aircraft when it arrived. Despite their initial reluctance, the Taliban finally gave up to the hijackers' requests, mostly because it served their own interests to keep up positive relations with militant organizations and apply pressure. in India.
Talks and Settlement
6-Negotiations: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister of India at the time, was under a great deal of pressure from both the local and international community. The fact that the Indian government was interacting with the Taliban—a regime that was mostly in control in Afghanistan but was isolated internationally—complicated the issue.
7-Release of Hostages: Following a heated confrontation, the Indian authorities gave in to the demands of the hijackers. The release of three militants who were detained in India was the main demand. At the end of the discussions, the inmates were returned in exchange for the hostages. Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Muhammad Ali Jauhar were the three jihadists who had been freed.
8-Aftermath: The hijacking had a big impact on global counterterrorism initiatives as well as Indian security policies. Because of the incident, security has been heightened. precautions at Indian airports and increased awareness of potential terrorist threats. In particular, Masood Azhar's release was contentious and had repercussions down the road because he went on to become a well-known figure in a number of extremist groups.
Extended Effect
The Flight 814 hijacking exposed gaps in international aviation security and served as a model for other disputes between terrorist organizations and governments responding to them. The episode, which highlights the intricate relationships between terrorist organizations, state actors, and diplomatic negotiations, is still regarded as a pivotal moment in the history of counterterrorism in South Asia and around the world.
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