Histopedia

IC 841 was a scheduled Indian Airlines flight that was hijacked on December 24, 1999. The flight was on its way from Kathmandu, Nepal to New Delhi, India when it was hijacked by five Pakistani militants. The hijackers demanded that the plane be taken to Afghanistan, where they released 26 hostages. The plane then took off again and landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where the hijackers released another 27 hostages. The standoff continued for several days, with the hijackers demanding the release of several militants held in Indian prisons. On December 31, 1999, Indian authorities agreed to release three militants in exchange for the remaining hostages. The hijackers then released the remaining 150 hostages and the plane was flown back to New Delhi, where it landed safely on January 1, 2000.

The IC 841 hijacking was a major incident that highlighted the threat of terrorism in the region and led to a significant increase in security measures at airports in India and around the world.

Here are some additional details about the IC 841 hijacking:

Hijackers’ demands:

• Release of 36 militants held in Indian prisons, including Maulana Masood Azhar, a Pakistani militant leader
• $200 million in ransom
• A guarantee of safe passage to Afghanistan

Hijacking timeline:

• December 24, 1999: Flight IC 841 takes off from Kathmandu, Nepal at 1:45 pm local time
• 2:15 pm: Hijackers storm the cockpit and take control of the plane
• 2:30 pm: Plane diverts from its scheduled route and heads towards Afghanistan
• December 25, 1999: Plane lands in Kandahar, Afghanistan
• December 26-30, 1999: Standoff between hijackers and Indian authorities
• December 31, 1999: India agrees to release three militants in exchange for the hostages
• January 1, 2000: Hijackers release remaining hostages and plane returns to New Delhi

Response and aftermath:

• Indian government initially refused to negotiate with hijackers
• Later agreed to release three militants in exchange for hostages
• Plane was flown back to New Delhi with 150 hostages on board
• Hijackers were allowed to escape to Pakistan
• Incident led to a significant increase in security measures at Indian airports
• India and Pakistan relations deteriorated following the incident

Casualties:

• One passenger, Rupin Katyal, was stabbed to death by hijackers
• Several others were injured during the hijacking

Investigation:

• Indian authorities investigated the hijacking and identified the hijackers as Pakistani nationals
• Pakistan denied involvement in the hijacking

The IC 841 hijacking was a major terrorist incident that highlighted the threat of terrorism in the region and led to a significant increase in security measures at airports in India and around the world.