IC-814 hijacker Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim shot dead in Karachi: Reports

Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, one of the hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814, was shot dead in Pakistan’s Karachi on March 1, according to reports.

Ibrahim was shot at point-blank range by two unidentified attackers inside a furniture store in Karachi’s Akbar Colony. He was living under the alias of Zahid Akhund and was the owner of Crescent Furniture.

According to CCTV footage, the two bike-borne men were seen conducting a recee in the area. The attackers used face mask and helmet to hide their identities.

Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, along with four others, hijacked IC-814 on December 24, 1999 when it was en-route to New Delhi from Kathmandu, Nepal. The aircraft, with 179 passengers and 11 crew members on board flew to Amritsar, Lahore and Dubai before making a strategic stop at Kandahar in Afghanistan which was then under the Taliban’s control.

According to officials, Zahoor Ibrahim stabbed an Indian passenger, Rupin Katyal, after hijacking the flight, negotiating the release of Islamist terrorists Masood Azhar Alvi, Syed Omar Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar from Indian jails on December 31, 1999, in exchange for the other hostages.

Yusuf Azhar alias Mohammad Salim, Jaish-e-Mohammed top leader and mastermind of IC-814 hijack, was killed in the Indian Air Force (IAF) air strike at the Balakot camp of the outfit in February 2019.

According to intelligence officials, Yusuf Azhar was directly or indirectly was connected to Pathankot, Uri and Pulwama attacks as well.



Source link

Leave a comment