Incident Summary:
11/13/1994: Three Algerians, armed with knives and a coffee grinder disguised as a bomb, hijacked an Air Algerie flight travelling from Algiers to Ouargla, Algeria. The hijackers forced the pilots to divert the airplane to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The perpetrators threatened to blow up the airplane if their demands were not met. These demands included the release of political prisoners, the resumption of the cancelled 1991 Algerian elections, as well as being granted asylum in Spain. Following an eight hour standoff, the assailants released the forty-two hostages aboard the airplane unharmed and turned themselves in to Spanish authorities. The hijackers were identified as Merzak Benachour, Madjid Arab and Mohammed Nedjar. All three individuals proclaimed to be part of the Union of Peaceful Citizens of Algeria.
Overview
GTD ID:
199411130007
When:
1994-11-13
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Algiers
City:
Algiers
What
Attack Information
| Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
| Type of Attack () |
Hijacking |
| Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
| Target Type: Airports and Aircraft |
|---|
| Name of Entity |
Air Algerie |
| Specific Description |
Air Algerie flight travelling from Algiers to Ouargla, Algeria |
| Nationality of Target |
Algeria |
Additional Information
| Hostages |
Yes |
| Number of Hostages |
42 |
| US Hostages |
0 |
| Hours of Kidnapping |
8 |
| Outcome |
Hostage(s) released by perpetrators |
| Ransom |
No |
| Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
| Type |
Sub-type |
| Melee |
Knife or Other Sharp Object |
| Fake Weapons |
|
| Weapon Details |
|---|
| Knives; fake bomb that was actually a coffee grinder |
Additional Information
| Suicide Attack? | No |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
| Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
| Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
| Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
| Additional Information |
The hostages were freed around 6:15 PM Spanish time. The three hijackers each received ten year sentences in Spain. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
| Number of Perpetrators |
3 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators |
3 |
Casualty Information
| Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
| Total Number of Injured |
0 |
| Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
| "Algerian Hijackers Turn Themselves In," Washington Post, November 14, 1994. |
| “Algerian Hijackers Surrender to Spanish Police,” Xinhua News Agency, November 13, 1994. |
| "Three Air Algerie hijackers get 10 years' prison," Agence France Presse, July 19, 1995. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties
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