Indian Airlines Flight 814 (
call signThis is a list of airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators, the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs...
IC-814) was an Indian Airlines flight en route from
Tribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international. Facilities include a few shops and cafes. In the international terminal there are several duty...
(
KathmanduKathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley, which also contains two other cities - Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Nepali is the common language of the city, though many speak Newari as it is the center of the Newar people and culture....
,
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
) to
Indira Gandhi International AirportIndira Gandhi International Airport is an airport located in southwest Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, it is the busiest airport in India and South Asia, handling the largest amount of traffic movements and passengers on the subcontinent. . The airport...
(
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
) when it was
hijackedAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft either by an individual or by a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. However, there have been cases where the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves...
by five
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
nationals on 24 December 1999.
Harkat-ul-MujahideenHarkat-ul-Mujahideen- al-Islami is a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group operating primarily in Kashmir. In 1997, the United States designated HUM a foreign terrorist organization, and in the same year the organization changed its name from Harakat al-Ansar...
, a Pakistan-based militant group, was held responsible for the hijacking.
The aircraft was hijacked by armed gunmen shortly after it entered Indian airspace at about 17:30 hours
ISTIndian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
. After touching down in
AmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northwestern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering just over 3,695,077...
,
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
and
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
, the hijackers forced the aircraft to land in
KandaharKandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
,
AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
.
Indian Airlines Flight 814 (
call signThis is a list of airline codes. The table lists the IATA airline designators, the ICAO airline designators and the airline call signs...
IC-814) was an Indian Airlines flight en route from
Tribhuvan International AirportTribhuvan International Airport is an international airport situated in Kathmandu, Nepal.Tribhuvan is the sole international airport in Nepal. There are two terminals, one domestic and one international. Facilities include a few shops and cafes. In the international terminal there are several duty...
(
KathmanduKathmandu is the capital and the largest metropolitan city of Nepal. The city is situated in Kathmandu Valley, which also contains two other cities - Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Nepali is the common language of the city, though many speak Newari as it is the center of the Newar people and culture....
,
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
) to
Indira Gandhi International AirportIndira Gandhi International Airport is an airport located in southwest Delhi, India. Named after former Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, it is the busiest airport in India and South Asia, handling the largest amount of traffic movements and passengers on the subcontinent. . The airport...
(
DelhiDelhi, known locally as Dilli , and also by the official name National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
) when it was
hijackedAircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft either by an individual or by a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. However, there have been cases where the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves...
by five
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
nationals on 24 December 1999.
Harkat-ul-MujahideenHarkat-ul-Mujahideen- al-Islami is a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group operating primarily in Kashmir. In 1997, the United States designated HUM a foreign terrorist organization, and in the same year the organization changed its name from Harakat al-Ansar...
, a Pakistan-based militant group, was held responsible for the hijacking.
The aircraft was hijacked by armed gunmen shortly after it entered Indian airspace at about 17:30 hours
ISTIndian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
. After touching down in
AmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northwestern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering just over 3,695,077...
,
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
and
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
, the hijackers forced the aircraft to land in
KandaharKandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
,
AfghanistanThe Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south central Asia. It is variously described as being located within Central Asia, South Asia, or the Middle East...
. The hijackers released 27 of 176 passengers in Dubai but fatally stabbed one and wounded several others.
India's lack of recognition of the Taliban-regime in Afghanistan complicated negotiations between Indian authorities and the hijackers. Taliban moved its well-armed fighters near the hijacked aircraft in an attempt to prevent
Indian special forcesThe Special Forces of India are Indian Military units that have a training specializing in special operations.-Equipment:*Heckler & Koch MP5*SIG SG-552*IMI Tavor TAR-21*Bushmaster M4A3*M16A2*AK-47*AK-101*INSAS rifle*Uzi submachine gun*IMI Galil...
from storming the aircraft. The hijacking lasted for seven days and ended after India released three Islamic militants —
Mushtaq Ahmed ZargarMushtaq Ahmed Zargar was born in 1967 and grew up in the Jama Masjid area of Srinagar in Kashmir. He was motivated to terrorism at the age of 17 in 1984 and became a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front when he was arrested for the first time....
,
Ahmed Omar Saeed SheikhAhmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British-born militant of Pakistani descent with alleged links to various Islamic-based organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al-Qaeda, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Taliban.He was arrested and served time in prison for...
(who was later arrested for the murder of
Daniel PearlDaniel Pearl was an American-Jewish journalist who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan by al Qaeda terrorists. At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India...
) and
Maulana Masood AzharMaulana Masood Azhar is a Pakistani militant and the founder of the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, based mainly in the Pakistan administered portion of the state of Kashmir....
(who later founded
Jaish-e-MohammedJaish-e-Mohammed is a major Islamic mujahedeen organization in South Asia. Jaish-e-Mohammed was formed in 2000 and is based in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan...
).
Indian and
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
intelligence agencies reported of credible links between the hijackers, the al-Qaida and the Taliban. The five hijackers and the three released militants were provided a safe passage by the Taliban. The dubious role played by the Taliban was widely condemned and led to further deterioration of relations between India and the Taliban.
Passengers
The flight had 178 passengers most of whom were Indian nationals who were coming back to India after vacationing in Nepal.
Hijack
The Indian Airlines flight 814 (VT-EDW) was hijacked on Friday, 24 December 1999, shortly after the aircraft entered Indian airspace at about 5:30 P.M.
Indian Standard TimeIndian Standard Time is the time observed throughout India and Sri Lanka, with a time offset of UTC+05:30. India does not observe daylight saving time or other seasonal adjustments, although DST was used briefly during the Sino–Indian War of 1962 and the Indo–Pakistani Wars of 1965 and 1971...
. The identities of the hijackers according to the Indian Government were:
- Ibrahim Athar, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Karachi, Pakistan
- Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Karachi, Pakistan
- Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, Karachi, Pakistan
- Shakir, Sukkur, Pakistan
Anil Sharma, the chief
flight attendantFlight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety but also the comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights as well as on select business jet aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant ultimately derives from that of similar...
on IC-814, later recalled that a masked, bespectacled man threatened to blow up the plane with a bomb and ordered Captain Devi Sharan to "fly West". The hijackers wanted Captain Sharan to divert the aircraft over
LucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division...
and head towards
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
, but
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
i authorities quickly refused permission as they were wary of being linked with the terrorists. Also, the fuel was not sufficient. Captain Sharan told the hijackers that they have to land in
AmritsarAmritsar is a city in the northwestern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering just over 3,695,077...
, India.
Landing in Amritsar
At Amritsar, Captain Sharan requested refueling the aircraft. But the Crisis Management Group in Delhi directed Amritsar Airport authorities to ensure that the plane was immobilised. Even though the armed personnel of the Punjab Police were already in position to try and force the issue, New Delhi did not approve. Finally, a tanker was dispatched with the idea of blocking the approach of the aircraft. The driver, however, drove a trifle too fast and was told by ATC over the walkie-talkie to slow down. Rather than decelerate gradually, the driver screeched to a dead halt and this aroused the hijackers' suspicion. Without waiting for ATC clearance, the hijackers forced the pilot to take off, the aircraft narrowly missing the tanker by only a few feet.
Landing in Lahore
Due to extremely low fuel level, the aircraft requested emergency landing in
LahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
,
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
.
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
denied the request fearing that their country might be linked with the terrorists. Pakistan also shut down their Air traffic services, thus effectively blackening the whole of Pakistan airspace for the Indian Airways flight, and switched off all lights at Lahore Airport. With no help from ATC, Captain Sharan banked on his visual instincts and began descending on what he thought was a runway, only to find out that it was a well lit road, and ascended the aircraft in time. On understanding that the only other option for the aircraft was to crash land, Lahore Airport switched on its lights and allowed the aircraft to land. Lahore airport officials refueled the aircraft and allowed it to leave Lahore at 22:32 hours IST. Moreover, Pakistani officials rejected IC-814 pilot's request to offload some women and children passengers.
Landing in Dubai
The aircraft took off for
DubaiDubai is one of the seven emirates and the most populous state of the United Arab Emirates . It is located along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula. The Dubai Municipality is sometimes called Dubai state to distinguish it from the emirate...
where 27 passengers aboard the ill-fated flight were released. The hijackers also released critically injured 25 year old Indian male, Rupin Katyal, who was stabbed by the hijackers multiple times. Rupin later succumbed to his injuries, becoming the first and only casualty of the hijacking.
Soon after the release of these passengers, the hijacked plane left for Kandahar International Airport.
Landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan
After the aircraft landed in
KandaharKandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
, Taliban authorities, in an attempt to gain international recognition, agreed to cooperate with Indian authorities and took the role of mediators between the hijackers and the Indian government. Since India did not recognize the Taliban-regime, it dispatched an official from its High Commission in
IslamabadIslām ābād is the capital of Pakistan, and is the tenth largest city in Pakistan with an estimated population of over 673,766 in 2009...
to
KandaharKandahār, also spelled Qandahār, Pashtoکندهار or قندهار is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 324,800 . It is the capital of Kandahar province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
. India's lack of previous contact with the Taliban-regime complicated the negotiating process.
However, the intention of Taliban came under doubt when its armed fighters surrounded the hijacked aircraft. The Taliban maintained that the forces were deployed in an attempt to dissuade the hijackers from killing or injuring the hostages but analysts believe it was done to prevent Indian military operation against the hijackers.
Release of militants
The hijackers initially demanded the release of 35 Islamic militants in Indian jails and US$200 million in cash but Indian negotiators succeeded in persuading the hijackers in reducing their demand to the release of three prisoners. These were:
- Maulana Masood Azhar
Maulana Masood Azhar is a Pakistani militant and the founder of the group Jaish-e-Mohammed, based mainly in the Pakistan administered portion of the state of Kashmir....
— founded Jaish-e-Muhammed in 2000 which gained notoriety for its alleged role in 2001 Indian Parliament attackThe 2001 Indian Parliament attack was a high-profile attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists against the building housing the Parliament of India in New Delhi...
.
- Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh is a British-born militant of Pakistani descent with alleged links to various Islamic-based organisations, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, Al-Qaeda, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Taliban.He was arrested and served time in prison for...
— arrested in 2002 by Pakistani authorities for the abduction and murder of Daniel PearlDaniel Pearl was an American-Jewish journalist who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan by al Qaeda terrorists. At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India...
.
- Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar
Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar was born in 1967 and grew up in the Jama Masjid area of Srinagar in Kashmir. He was motivated to terrorism at the age of 17 in 1984 and became a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front when he was arrested for the first time....
— has played an active role since release in training Islamic militants in Pakistan-administered KashmirPakistan administered Kashmir refers to a disputed region between India and Pakistan in South Asia that is under the de facto administration of Pakistan...
.
Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who had been imprisoned in connection with
1994 Kidnappings of Western tourists in India1994 Kidnappings of Western tourists in India refers to the abduction of four tourists in New Delhi, India on October 20, 1994 by Kashmiri separatists.-Background:...
, went on to murder
Daniel PearlDaniel Pearl was an American-Jewish journalist who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan by al Qaeda terrorists. At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India...
and also allegedly played a significant role in planning the September 11 attacks in the United States.
After the three militants landed in Kandahar, the hostages aboard the flight were freed. On 31 December 1999, the freed hostages of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 were flown back to
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
on a special plane.
Involvement of Taliban, Al-Qaida and ISI
Indian investigations established credible evidence that all five hijackers were
PakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located at the crossroads of South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia...
i nationals and this information was shared with Pakistan, United States and
InterpolInterpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
. The cooperation between the hijackers, the released militants and the Taliban was evident from the fact that the Taliban provided a safe passage to the hijackers and militants once the hostages were freed, contrary to Indian government expectations. Later investigations revealed that one of the militants released as per the demand of the hijackers, Maulana Masood Azhar, had close links with the Taliban. Maulana later founded Jaish-e-Muhammed, a terrorist organization which has received extensive aid from Taliban and pro-Taliban groups in Pakistan.
Additionally,
Harkat-ul-MujahideenHarkat-ul-Mujahideen- al-Islami is a Pakistan-based Islamic militant group operating primarily in Kashmir. In 1997, the United States designated HUM a foreign terrorist organization, and in the same year the organization changed its name from Harakat al-Ansar...
, the primary suspect behind the hijacking, has in the past recruited foreign fighters for the Taliban. India also believes that Pakistan's intelligence agency (
ISIThe Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence is the largest intelligence service in Pakistan...
) played a part in the hijacking. The United States intelligence agency (
CIAThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government.It is an independent agency responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior United States policymakers....
) also suspects a link between Omar Sheikh, one of the released militants who went on to kidnap and murder
Daniel PearlDaniel Pearl was an American-Jewish journalist who was kidnapped, tortured and murdered in Karachi, Pakistan by al Qaeda terrorists. At the time of his kidnapping, Pearl served as the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, and was based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India...
, and the ISI.
During
Operation Enduring FreedomOperation Enduring Freedom is the official name used by the U.S. Government for its War in Afghanistan and Iraq, together with three smaller military actions, under the umbrella of its Global War on Terror...
, U.S. Special Forces recovered IC-814 boarding passes from abandoned Taliban camps near Kandahar indicating that the hijackers had collaborated with local Taliban militia. Several other links between the hijackers, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Qaida and the Taliban were also established. Indian investigations also established credible links between
Mullah OmarMullah Mohammed Omar often simply called Mullah Omar, is the leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan and was Afghanistan's de facto head of state, and was recognized by three states, from 1996 to 2001, under the official title of Head of the Supreme Council...
, Taliban leader, and the hijackers.
In popular culture
The
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
movie
Zameen is a
BollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the Indian film industry. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the...
adaptation of the Flight IC 814 hijacking. In the movie, a flight by
Indian Airways is hijacked to
Pakistan-administered KashmirPakistan administered Kashmir refers to a disputed region between India and Pakistan in South Asia that is under the de facto administration of Pakistan...
by terrorists.
BollywoodBollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the Indian film industry. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the...
movie
HijackHijack is a 2008 bollywood film about terrorism. it stars Shiney Ahuja and Esha Deol. Next remake will be in Malayalam with Prithviraj, Padamapriya, Bhavana, Navya Narain. This film is based on the real life hijacking of IC 814.-Plot:...
is also based on IC 814.
MiditechMiditech is a film production company headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India.The company creates documentaries and programming for television.-Programs:* "Head On!"...
of
GurgaonGurgaon is the sixth largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. An important town in ancient Hindu mythology, Gurgaon is one of Delhi's four major satellite cities and is part of the National Capital Region of India. Over the past 10...
,
HaryanaHaryana is a state in northern India. It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south. Eastern border to Uttarakhand & Uttar Pradesh is defined by river Yamuna. Haryana also surrounds Delhi on three sides, forming the northern, western and...
created
Air Hijack, a documentary with re-enactments; the documentary appeared on
National Geographic ChannelNational Geographic Channel, also commercially abbreviated as Nat Geo, is a subscription television channel that airs non-fiction television programs produced by the National Geographic Society...
.
See also
- 173 Hours In Captivity
173 Hours In Captivity: The Hijacking of IC 814 is a 2000 book written by Neelesh Misra, a New Delhi-based correspondent of the Associated Press...
, book about the hijacking
- Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montréal-London-Delhi-Bombay route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route was blown up in midair by a bomb in Irish airspace in the single deadliest terrorist attack involving an aircraft to that date. The incident...
- Air France Flight 8969
Air France Flight 8969 was an Air France flight that was hijacked on 24 December 1994 by the Armed Islamic Group at Algiers, where they killed three passengers. When the aircraft reached Marseille, the GIGN, an intervention group of the French Gendarmerie, stormed the plane and killed all four...
External links