Kandahar Hijack 1999 Full Story: It’s been nearly 25 years since the hijacking of IC 814 by five terrorists. On December 24, 1999, this Airbus A300 was en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, India, when it was taken over by militants.
The plane was commandeered by five Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM) operatives from Pakistan shortly after entering Indian airspace. The hijackers directed the aircraft to land in Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai before finally arriving in Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan.
During the ordeal, the terrorists released 27 of the 176 passengers in Dubai but fatally attacked one passenger and injured several others.
The primary aim of the hijacking was to secure the release of several Islamist terrorists detained in India, including Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar. After seven days of intense negotiations, India agreed to release these individuals in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.
Timeline of Kandahar Hijacking Incident
December 24, 1999
- 4:53 PM IST: The hijacking began.
- 4:56 PM IST: Air Traffic Control (ATC) in Delhi was alerted about the hijacking.
- 7:00 PM: The plane landed in Amritsar. Although it needed refueling, the hijackers forced the pilot to depart without it.
- 8:07 PM: The aircraft landed in Lahore. Despite initial resistance, Pakistani authorities allowed refueling.
- 10:32 PM: The plane departed for Kabul but was diverted to Dubai due to Kabul’s night-landing limitations.
December 25, 1999
- 1:32 AM: It landed at a Dubai air force base. In Dubai, 27 passengers, including women and children, were released. However, Rupin Katyal, a 25-year-old passenger who had been stabbed, was found dead.
- 6:20 AM: The aircraft departed Dubai.
- 8:33 AM: It landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Till December 31, 1999
In Kandahar, the hijacking continued until December 31, 1999. The remaining passengers and crew were finally flown to Delhi on two special flights, with the aircraft returning to Delhi at 12:22 PM on January 1, 2000.
Throughout the ordeal, passengers faced extreme hardship, including threats of death, lack of food and sleep, overflowing toilets, and cramped conditions on the aircraft.