– On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines Flight IC-814, a Boeing 737, was hijacked by five militants affiliated with the Pakistan-based extremist group, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
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The flight was en route from Kathmandu, Nepal, to Delhi, India, when it was diverted to Lahore, Pakistan, and later to Dubai, UAE, before being flown to its final destination in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The hijackers demanded the release of several high-profile militants held in India. The primary demands included the release of Maulana Masood Azhar, a prominent militant leader, and other terrorists –
The crisis lasted for about a week, with intense negotiations and multiple diplomatic interventions
On December 31, 1999, the Indian government, under significant pressure from the international community and with the safety of the hostages in mind, agreed to release the prisoners in exchange for the release of the hostages –
The hijacking had a lasting impact on India-Pakistan relations and heightened security concerns for international aviation
The incident led to increased security measures in Indian airports and greater scrutiny of international aviation protocols.
The released militants, including Maulana Masood Azhar, later became prominent figures in terrorist activities
Azhar went on to found the Jaish-e-Mohammed group, which was involved in numerous terrorist attacks in India.
– The hijacking drew international condemnation and highlighted the issue of terrorism and the challenges of handling hijackings and negotiations with terrorists.
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The IC-814 hijacking remains a crucial case study in counter-terrorism and aviation security, influencing policies and practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. –
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