On this day in 1994, four Islamic extremists hijack Air France Flight
8969 in Algiers. The terrorists then flew the plane to Marseilles with
the permission of the French and Algerian governments, given in part
because French special forces would be ready to perform a rescue
mission. More than two days after the terrorists took control of the
plane, during which time they killed three hostages, French Prime
Minister Edouard Balladur decided to use French commandos to put an end
to the hijacking. In the ensuing mission, the terrorists were killed
and the remaining hostages were released unharmed, despite the
discovery of a cache of dynamite aboard the plane. Hostages claimed
that the terrorists had discussed plans to fly the plane to Paris and
blow it up.
France's equivalent to SWAT, GIGN, did an amazing job of defusing the situation. Watch the video to see actual footage of the raid.
Also on this day.
1999 Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacked by the Taliban. 1 killed.
2000 Indonesia bombings, Abu Bakar Bashir ordered the bombings. Thirty-eight bombs in 11 cities exploded at Christian churches on Christmas Eve 2000, killing 19 people and wounding 120.
