Indian Airlines Flight 427

Indian Airlines Flight 427

Hijacking summary
Date	April 24 – 25, 1993
Summary	Hijacking
Site	Hijacked between Delhi and Srinagar, India
Passengers	141
Crew	6
Injuries	0
Fatalities	3 hijackers
Aircraft type	Boeing 737
Operator	Indian Airlines
Flight origin	Indira Gandhi International Airport Delhi, India
Destination	Amritsar, India

Indian Airlines Flight 427 was an aircraft hijacking that took place in India between April 24 and April 25, 1993. Commandos from India's National Security Guard (NSG) rescued all 141 passengers and crew of the Indian Airlines Boeing 737, on the ground at Amritsar airport. The lead hijacker, Mohammed Yousuf Shah, was killed before he could react and harm any of the hostages.

Operation

Indian Airlines Flight 427 was flying a domestic route from Delhi to Srinagar, when a group of armed men led by Mohammed Yousuf Shah hijacked the plane and landed it at Amritsar. The hijackers wanted the plane redirected to Kabul, Afghanistan.

Fourteen NSG commandos from the Quick Reaction Team entered the plane in pairs through 7 different entrances, carrying MP-5 Sub-machine guns, Glock 17 or the Sig Sauer pistols and poison-tipped knives. Two hijackers patrolling the aisle were killed immediately, followed by the one in the cockpit being disarmed and captured, all in less than 12 seconds. Yousuf Shah was killed before he could do any harm.