Hijacking of Singapore Airlines flight SQ 117

25 years ago on March 26, 1991, Singapore Airlines plane, SQ117 was hijacked. The lives of 114 passengers and 11 SIA staff hung in a balance. When negotiations broke down, Commandos had no choice but to storm the plane to rescue all of them. The four hijackers were killed.

The SQ117 hijack might have been 25 years ago, but our stance remains the same - the SAF is committed to Singapore's defence, and ongoing fight against terrorism. Let us also do our part to stay alert, and never take our peace for granted.

Terrorists then and now will seek to inflict harm on innocent civilians. When called upon, the SAF will need to act swiftly and effectively as it has done before. Let us all stay vigilant and never let our guard down against such threats.



Singapore Airlines flight SQ 117 was hijacked on 26 March 1991 shortly after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.1The hijackers were four passengers who claimed to be members of the Pakistan People’s Party.2 The plane landed at Changi Airport at 10.24 pm.3 Commandos of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) mounted a rescue operation at 6.50 am on 27 March 1991, killing all four hijackers and bringing the passengers and crew to safety.4

Flight SQ 117
Singapore Airlines flight SQ 117 on board an Airbus A310 was a 50-minute-long shuttle service between Subang International Airport in Kuala Lumpur and Changi Airport in Singapore.5

The plane was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members. Its passengers included 55 Malaysians, 21 Singaporeans, 12 Japanese, four Britons and others from the United States, Canada and France.6 The flight’s pilot was Captain Stanley Lim, while the chief steward was Philip Cheong.7

The hijack
On 26 March 1991, SQ 117 took off from Subang International Airport in Kuala Lumpur after 9 pm. Some newpaper reports state that the plane took off at 9:15 pm, but subsequent publications suggest that the plane actually took off at 9.38 pm.8 At around 9.50 pm, four hijackers took control of the plane’s cabin.9 Their leader shouted that they were hijacking the plane, and instructed passengers to keep calm and remain in their seats. The unmasked hijackers were armed with large cylindrical sticks, cigarette lighters and knives.10 The large cylindrical sticks, which were initially assumed to be lethal explosives,11 were later identified as sparklers.12

After taking control of the cabin, the leader of the hijackers communicated with the pilot, Captain Lim, and threatened to blow the plane up if it landed in Singapore. He demanded that Lim fly the plane to Sydney. Lim stressed that the plane did not have enough fuel to fly to Sydney, and that it would crash if he did so. The leader then permitted Lim to land the plane in Singapore to refuel before heading to Sydney, and promised to release the passengers at Changi Airport.13

Demands of the hijackers
The plane landed on Runway One of Changi Airport at 10.24 pm.14 The leader ordered Lim to stop the plane on the runway, and ensure that no one approaches it. He also communicated his demands to Lim, who relayed them to the authorities.15

The leader demanded to speak to the Pakistani ambassador to Singapore as well as former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He also demanded the release of a number of people jailed in Pakistan, including Bhutto’s husband, and wanted the plane to be refuelled and flown to Sydney.16

The negotiation process
By 10.30 pm on 26 March, police officers, including crack troopers from the Police Tactical Team, had surrounded the plane. The Singapore government activated a crisis management team called the Executive Group, consisting of representatives from the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and other related organisations. Hostage negotiators were also alerted.17 

Lim relayed messages between the police negotiators, who attempted to persuade the hijackers to release the hostages, and the hijackers with his headset.18

The hijackers forced passengers in the first- and Raffles-class sections of the plane to take seats in the economy-class sections. Their leader moved up and down the aisles, while the other three hijackers took control of the front, middle and tail sections of the plane.19

At 11.20 pm, flight steward Bernard Tan was beaten up by the hijackers and thrown out of the plane, falling 4.5 m onto the tarmac.20 Tan provided the police with information about the hijackers and their weapons,21 and was taken to the Singapore General Hospital.22

At around midnight, the hijackers splashed the cockpit and the control panel of the plane with alcohol seized from the first-class cabin, and then threatened to set the plane on fire.23 The hijackers also physically assaulted Lim and an American passenger.24

At about 2.30 am, the hijackers lit up some newspapers on the cockpit floor, and threatened to set the plane on fire again.25 The hostage negotiators agreed to refuel the plane, and the hijackers put out the fire. At 2.40 am, the plane was moved to the outer tarmac of the airport.26 

At 3.25 am, the Singapore government released a detailed statement about the hijackers’ demands. The first load of petrol was delivered at about 3.30 am.27 Around that time, Chief Steward Philip Cheong was beaten up and pushed out of the plane.28 He provided the police with more information about the hijackers.29 

Negotiations stopped at 6.45 am when the hijackers informed the negotiating team that they were no longer interested in communicating.30 The hijackers issued a five-minute deadline, threatening to kill one hostage every 10 minutes if their demands were not met.31 The hijackers began a countdown. The negotiating team and the Executive Group then made the decision to mount a rescue operation in order to save the hostages.32

Storming operation and rescue
During the time when negotiations with the hijackers were taking place, a team of SAF commandos was rehearsing a storming operation in a similar Airbus plane.33 At 6.47 am, the commando team received the order to storm the plane.34

At 6.50 am, the commandos forced the plane doors open with detonating charges and tossed stun grenades into the plane. After shouting for the passengers to get down and identifying themselves as the rescue team,35 the commandos shot dead all four hijackers, leaving the hostages unharmed. The entire operation lasted 30 seconds.36

The commandos then instructed the passengers to exit the aircraft through emergency exit chutes.37 After confirming that there were no more hijackers, the passengers were transported to the airport terminal in three buses.38

A press conference was held at 7.50 am to announce the success of the rescue operation.39 

The hijackers’ identities
The hijackers were later identified as Shahid Hussain Soomro, Fida Mohammad Khan Jadoon, Javaid Akhter Keyani and Mohammad Yousof Mughal. Shahid Hussain Soomro was the leader, while Fida Mohammad Khan Jadoon was regarded as the most violent hijacker.40 They were all Pakistani nationals, and claimed to be members of the Pakistan People’s Party.41

Aftermath
The hijacking of SQ 117 was the first such incident to involve a Singapore Airlines plane and the first to have taken place in Singapore.42 Singapore received accolades from the international media for its swift handling of the incident.43

Shortly after the hijacking incident, then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad ordered security measures at Malaysian airports to be tightened.44 Singapore also requested that airport authorities in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh conduct more thorough checks on baggage and passengers.45

On 9 April 1991, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong hosted a tea reception for the key people involved in the SQ 117 rescue operation in order to express the government’s appreciation. The guests included SAF personnel, Chief Steward Philip Cheong and Captain Stanley Lim.46

The 1991 National Day Awards list included several key players involved in the storming and rescue of SQ 117. The commando unit received the Medal of Valour, while members of the Police Negotiation Team received the President’s Certificate of Commendation. Both the leader of the Police Negotiation Team, Foo Kia Juah, and the pilot of SQ 117, Stanley Lim, received the Public Service Star. Lim Siong Guan, then acting chairman of the Executive Group, received the Meritorious Service Medal.47 In 1997, the SAF revealed that the commandos involved in the SQ 117 rescue operation were members of the Special Operations Force,48 a secret hostage-rescue and counter-terrorism unit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Opera...rce_(Singapore)

my SM was one of those that went in that day to saved the hostages 

becoming like indon now? navy say one thing, fishery say one thing, maritime authority say one thing, minister say one thing, PM say one thing? 

Malaysian navy: No trespass by Chinese vessels



In an apparent about-face, Malaysia's navy yesterday said no Chinese vessels had encroached into Malaysian waters after investigating claims by the maritime authorities that 82 fishing boats were spotted off Beting Patinggi Ali, in the hotly disputed South China Sea.

Malaysia's National Security Minister Shahidan Kassim had said last week that three Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) ships and navy assets were sent to the area after aerial monitoring found a group of Chinese fishing boats there.

But Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the navy chief told him yesterday that there was no trespass by Chinese vessels. "I am relieved that he (the navy chief) confirmed that our waters are safe," he told reporters.

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin had on Sunday indicated a reluctance to escalate tensions with China over the alleged encroachment into Malaysia's Exclusive Economic Zone, saying that even if the sightings were confirmed, the issue could be "resolved bilaterally" with Malaysia's top trade partner.

Sources said that although the boats were not clearly marked as Chinese, they were escorted by Chinese coast guard vessels. But the Defence Minister's denial of Beijing's involvement has caused confusion even among his colleagues. Datuk Seri Shahidan insisted "the boats are always there", and told The Straits Times to "call the MMEA now, they must have answers ready".

Prime Minister Najib Razak's administration has enjoyed cordial ties with Beijing, and Chinese investments have hit record highs, with billions of ringgit poured into taking control of energy and property arms previously owned by 1Malaysia Development Berhad. The government-owned investor was forced to sell these assets as it was struggling to meet obligations of RM42 billion (S$14.3 billion) in debt.

The incident came after Jakarta said last week a Chinese patrol boat had forcibly prevented its maritime authorities from detaining a Chinese fishing boat that was allegedly poaching in Indonesian waters.

http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/n...?xtor=EREC-16-1[ST_Newsletter_AM]-20160329-[No+trespass+by+Chinese+vessels%3A+Malaysian+navy]&xts=538291

why need a trailer... cant the vehicle move by itself? unless of course not fully assembled..  i believe fuel consumption for that trailer would be higher...

kesian LTZ ...

got your 10k clocked hours yet?

got your 10k clocked hours yet?

congrats      ..ari tu casex sape menang ngan mamat perancis ??

You think too highly of our military, they can't even secure Sabah from Sulu! Got, kidnap by pirates maybe, themselves!

dah pro ni..alang2 dah elite tu, kita celebrate la sikit.. cer citer sikit psl citer2 panas pasal Laut China Selatan ni..   

Looking down?
When you fail your duty/job,? Of coz! 

Ps: Will only respect those that contribute to the community or country (RELA), without taking a pay or single cents from the citizen and tax payers!

i would like to see him do that bro. hahaha!
Jom ke laut jom! if he scared to join any navy / mmea / polis marine vessels, i can tumpang him on board one of mine.

RUSSIA DEFENSE REPORT: COUNTERMEASURES OF HYBRID WAR



On April 5, 2016, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree establishing a new paramilitary formation, the National Guard, out of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) Internal Troops, and ordering a number of organizational changes in the MVD and other associated agencies. The first commander of the National Guard will be the Internal Troops commander since 2014, Army General Viktor Vasilyevich Zolotov, who has had a long career in the intelligence and security services dating to the 1980s. The National Guard will include the Internal Troops as well as the SOBR and OMON special riot control and counter-terrorism units, which will result in a paramilitary internal security organization directly comparable to France’s Gendarmerie Nationale.

This will provide the National Guard commander and, ultimately, the President, with an integrated internal security organization capable of fine-tuning the level of violence, depending on the level of the threat, starting with Maidan-style not-so-peaceful protests and ending with full-scale insurgencies. During the Chechen Wars, Internal Troops became almost indistinguishable from the Armed Forces in that they were using artillery and armored vehicles. While there is no mention of the National Guard’s external role, its mission might also involve peacekeeping and law enforcement operations in, say, the Donbass, where their presence would be less controversial than of the military.

Instead of being part of the MVD subordinate to its minister, the National Guard’s commander will answer directly to the President, which implies institutional standing on a par with other security services and ministries. National Guard’s sphere of responsibility will include combating terrorism and organized crime. Furthermore, the MVD will absorb a number of separate federal agencies, such as the Federal Migration Service (FMS) and the Federal Drug Trafficking Interdiction Service (FSKN).

These far-reaching changes suggest that Russia is taking seriously the threat, voiced by ISIS, al-Nusra, and several of its international sponsors, that it will “pay a price” for defeating Islamist forces in Syria. Even though ISIS cannot avoid a crushing defeat in Syria at this point, many of its militants, leaders, and organizational networks will migrate or be transferred by their international sponsors to other theaters of the global hybrid war. While they include Libya, a more worrisome prospect is their use to destabilize Central Asia and perhaps even the Caucasus.

The combined focus on drug trafficking, organized crime, migration, and terrorism is not coincidental, because in combination these are vital elements of hybrid warfare practiced by Islamist forces. We have seen these factors in action, individually and in combination, in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and most recently in Western Europe, where the migrant stream is being used to entrench organized crime groups with ties to the Middle East. These organized crime networks can then serve as a “delivery vehicle” of sorts for terrorists who can use the tried and true illegal transportation networks to enter Europe and perpetrate acts of terrorism.

One should expect a similar model to be used soon in Central Asia, with Russia being the ultimate target. For all of Obama’s talk about Russia’s economy being “torn to shreds”, the fact remains that its labor market is still large enough to absorb large numbers of migrant workers from adjoining countries. Many of them come from Central Asia. There are significant organized crime networks all over Russia with ties to the Caucasus and Central Asia which are engaged in drug trafficking and which likewise could be used for terrorist purposes. In order for such tactics to be effectively countered, a single government agency dealing with all of the components of hybrid war in an integrated manner will be much more effective than having several agencies each attempting to address individual aspects of the problem.

The new National Guard appears to be an instrument that is directly intended to make the hybrid war doctrines fail when applied against Russia and its close allies.

https://southfront.org/russia-defense-repor...-of-hybrid-war/

1 lgi kes culik telah berlaku. D percayai d kaw pulau mataking. 4 mangsa culik. 1 mangsa kena tembak. 5 lgi mangsa d tinggalkn d tug boat.
[4/15, 10:55 PM] ‪‬: [15/04 20:55] Km: Semporna gegar lg dgn tembakan baru sahaja td..Maklumat sda di salurkan oleh esscom dan musuh dapat dikesan melalui radar...
Arahan mana2 aset esscom yg berhampiran sila bagi bantuan kepada tug-boat kerana dihampiri sebuah bot laju dari arah selatan filipina...
[15/04 20:56] Km: Kejadian di perairan philipin tug bot masuk perairan kita minta bantuan ada krew cedra...bot kita marin bagi bantuan
[15/04 21:06] Km: Mangsa 4 culik 2  dilepaskn

  got new documentary about scorpene? or the old one ?

A new one since this one is titled 'Wira-wira Dasar Laut'. Part of the footage especially the date and the time shown at the submarine base entrance show the year 2016.

nice vid
didnt know sepanggar got a really complete sub training facility

Does that include inflatable boat?
Even LTZ will gelak if we havr that many boat to rival china
I know it good to boost but tengok kedah class

Tiger with no teeth..

point of impact is aft of exhaust. can't believe it until seeing it.