French Commandos Foil Hijacking, Kill All Four Extremists

Strategic Insights -

French commandos staged a daring raid on a hijacked airliner on Monday, freeing 169 passengers and crew and killing four extremists who had strapped dynamite to the plane's seats. The hijackers, linked to the Armed Islamic Group, had been demanding to be flown to Paris, where they planned to carry out a dramatic gesture, possibly a suicide bombing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The hijackers had planted about 20 sticks of dynamite beneath the seats of the Air France plane, which was commandeered in Algiers on Saturday.
  • The commandos knew the hijackers had dynamite on board and were planning a possible suicide bombing, leading to the decision to stage the raid.
  • The hijackers killed three passengers while the plane stood on the ground at Algiers airport, and four passengers were murdered near the north Algeria town of Tizi-Ouzou in a possible revenge attack.
  • Twenty-five people were hurt in the raid, including three crew members, 13 passengers, and nine commandos from the crack Gendarmerie Intervention Group.
  • French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur ordered the raid, stating that it was the only way to safeguard human lives.
  • The British and German governments have warned their citizens in Algeria to be on high alert after the hijacking.
  • The Armed Islamic Group, the most violent of Algeria's fundamentalist groups, claimed responsibility for the hijacking, citing France's alleged support for the Algiers government.

Statistics:

  • 20 sticks of dynamite were planted beneath the seats of the hijacked plane.
  • 169 passengers and crew were freed from the hijacked plane.
  • 25 people were hurt in the raid, including 3 crew members, 13 passengers, and 9 commandos.
  • 4 hijackers were killed in the raid.
  • 4 Catholic priests from the "Peres Blancs" (White Fathers) order were murdered near the north Algeria town of Tizi-Ouzou in a possible revenge attack.
  • 70 foreigners, including 22 French nationals, have been killed in the civil strife in Algeria over the past three years.
  • About 20,000 people have been killed in the civil strife in Algeria since the government called off a 1992 general election.

Sources:

  • Reuter
  • The Interior Ministry