Today in History: The Hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814

By Y.M. Lowy

On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines Flight 814, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was hijacked by five members of the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. 

Shortly after entering Indian airspace, the flight, carrying 179 passengers and 11 crew members, was taken over by the hijackers. The plane was diverted to multiple locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, before landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on December 25. At the time, Afghanistan was largely controlled by the Taliban.

While in Dubai, 27 passengers were released, but one hostage was tragically murdered. The hijackers’ demands were centered on the release of several prisoners held in India for terrorism-related offenses. After days of intense negotiations, the Indian government agreed to free three individuals, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar, in exchange for the release of the hostages.

On December 31, the crisis ended when the hostages were freed, but the three prisoners were driven to the Pakistan border, raising suspicions of their involvement in future terrorist attacks, including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack and the 2016 Pathankot attack. The hijacking and its aftermath are seen as part of the larger wave of terrorist activities linked to Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups around the turn of the millennium.

While the ordeal ended with the safe return of most passengers and crew, the aftermath highlighted the complications that can arise when negotiating with terrorist groups and the long-lasting impacts of such events.