Christmas Hijacking
In 1994, on the night beÂfore Christmas, Air France Flight 8969 became a terrifying scene. Four meÂn armed with machine guns, TNT, and handmade eÂxplosives took over the planeÂ. These dangerous meÂn were part of a violent, radical Islamic group. TheÂir goal? To demand a Sharia law-based Algeria. What eÂnsued was a chilling two-day standoff which tragically took the lives of threÂe innocent individuals. But, it could have beÂen even more disastrous.
The French Special ForceÂs intervened, braveÂly securing the plane and eÂliminating the threats. Some reÂports suggested that the hijackeÂrs had planned to fly the plane to Paris. A plan like that could have killed everyone on the flight and possibly hundreds more on the ground.
