DATE=12/31/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=PLANE HIJACKING - L
NUMBER=2-257658
BYLINE=AYAZ GUL
DATELINE=KANDAHAR
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The Indian Airline hostage crisis has ended
peacefully in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The more than
150 remaining hostages were freed Friday. The week-
long drama ended after India released and flew three
Kashmiri militants to Afghanistan. V-O-A's Ayaz Gul is
on the Kandahar runway and describes what happened
earlier today:
TEXT: Indian Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh arrived in
Kandahar along with three Kashmiri militants. Minutes
after the aircraft carrying Mr. Singh touched down to
Kandahar airport, about a dozen vehicles rushed to the
hijacked plane -- one of them carrying the three
Muslim militants released from an Indian jail.
Soon after, all five masked hijackers came down
through cockpit and boarded the mini bus carrying the
prisoners. They were all taken to an undisclosed
location by Afghanistan's Tailbone authorities.
The whole event was over within 10 minutes paving way
for more than 150 hostages to be off-loaded and
brought to the other two waiting Indian planes to fly
to India.
The mood among Taleban officials is one of relief and
jubilance. India's Foreign Minister told reporters at
the Kandahar airport the Taleban has assured India
that the hijackers and the prisoners have just hours
to leave Afghanistan.
The foreign minister of Afghanistan's dominant Taleban
movement, Wakil Ahmed Mutawakil, says the agreement
reached between the hijackers and Indian officials
requires the hijackers to leave the country within 10
hours. Mr. Mutawakil told reporters at the Kandahar
airport that one Afghan national is with the hijackers
as a hostage until they leave Afghanistan.
The Taleban minister says the point of exit and
destination of the hijackers and their colleagues will
not be disclosed as per the agreement. Mr. Mutawakil
maintains the eight militants will be forced to leave
the country if needed.
/// OPT ///
The Taleban minister says one option for the Muslim
militants was to ask a consulate in Kandahar for
asylum. But the only country that has consulate in
this Taleban stronghold is Pakistan, which has already
refused to accept the Kashmiri militants.
Mr. Mutawakil says another option is to send the
hijackers back to Kashmir through the International
Committee for the Red Cross. But the ICRC says it
needs permission from Pakistan and India to do so.
/// END OPT ///
The Indian Airlines plane was hijacked on December 24
during a scheduled flight from Nepal to India and was
forced to land in Kandahar.
During the eight-day ordeal, the hijackers killed one
passenger. All others have been released. (SIGNED)
NEB/AG/JO
31-Dec-1999 11:55 AM EDT (31-Dec-1999 1655 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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