Incident Summary:
01/23/2001: Mohammed Yehia Ali Sattar, armed with a gun and a grenade, hijacked a Yemini aircraft that had departed from Sanaa, Yemen en route to Taizz. The plane was carrying 91 passengers, including Barbara Bodine, the United States Ambassador to Yemen. The hijacker intended to demonstrate support for Saddam Hussein by flying to Baghdad International Airport. Members of the crew were able to subdue the hijacker when the plane landed in Djibouti for refueling. The hijacker and a flight engineer were injured during the hijacking.
Overview
GTD ID:
200101230001
When:
2001-01-23
Country:
Yemen
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Amanat Al Asimah
City:
Sanaa
Location Details:
The hijacking occurred on a flight that departed from Sanaa and was originally destined for Taizz. However the flight was redirected to Djibouti for refuelling where it was overpowered before reaching the hijacker's intended destination of Baghdad International Airport.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Hijacking |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Airports and Aircraft |
Name of Entity |
Yemen Airways |
Specific Description |
Yemen Airways airplane |
Nationality of Target |
Yemen |
Target Type: Government (Diplomatic) |
Name of Entity |
U.S. Department of State |
Specific Description |
U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Barbara Bodine |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
91 |
US Hostages |
4 |
Outcome |
Hostage(s) escaped (not during rescue attempt) |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Handgun |
Explosives |
Unknown Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
The attacker used a pistol that was shaped like a pen. He also carried a bag that he said was filled with explosives. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
All passengers were released when the Yemeni crew overpowered the hijacker while the airplane was refueling in Djibouti. Mohammed Yehia Ali Sattar attempted to divert the airplane to Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The Yemen Airlines pilot convinced the attacker that the airplane needed to refuel in Djibouti before going to Iraq, where he was subdued. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Supporters of Saddam Hussein |
Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Personal claim) |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
1 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 2 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
2 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
1 |
Sources
Sources
“Eight Detained for Questioning in Yemenia Hijacking,” The Associated Press, January 25, 2001. |
“Hijacker Foiled; U.S. Envoy Aboard; Yemeni Jet Crew Speaks English, Tricks Gunman,” Chicago Tribune, January 24, 2001. |
“Envoy to Yemen Escapes Hijack,” The Commercial Appeal, January 24, 2001. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties