1975 Orly Airport attacks
LocationOrly Airport, Paris, France
Date13 and 19 January 1975
Attack type
RPG attacks, shooting, grenade attacks, hostage-taking
Deaths0
Injured23
PerpetratorsPopular Front for the Liberation of Palestine

On 13 and 19 January 1975, El Al aircraft at Paris-Orly Airport, France were subject to attempted RPG attacks by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) terrorists led by Carlos the Jackal. While the intended attacks failed, collateral damage was suffered and the second attack resulted in gunfighting and a seventeen-hour hostage situation.[1][2]

In the first attack, Carlos and Johannes Weinrich of the Revolutionary Cells fired two RPGs at an El Al aircraft, but missed and instead hit a Yugoslav plane and an administration building, injuring three people.[1][2][3] Six days later, Carlos returned with three Palestinian terrorists, and another attempted RPG-attack on an El Al airplane was thwarted, resulting in a hostage situation and gunfights with police.[1][2][4] Twenty people were wounded after grenades were thrown by the terrorists into the airport terminal.[5][6] The terminal building was surrounded by hundreds of French riot police, and French Interior Minister Michel Poniatowski arrived at the scene and reportedly became involved in negotiating with the terrorists.[6] After seventeen hours, the ten hostages including one child were released in return for the three remaining terrorists, excluding Carlos who had fled during the gunfight, being flown to Baghdad, Iraq.[2][4]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Terrorist Incidents against Jewish Communities and Israeli Citizens Abroad, 1968-2003". International Institute for Counter-Terrorism. 20 December 2003. Archived from the original on 26 March 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d Ensalaco, Mark (2008). Middle Eastern terrorism: from Black September to September 11. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 80–82. ISBN 978-0-8122-4046-7.
  3. ^ Bacon, Tricia (2018). Why Terrorist Groups Form International Alliances. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 96. ISBN 9780812295023.
  4. ^ a b Kushner, Harvey W (2002). Encyclopedia of Terrorism. SAGE. p. 322. ISBN 9781452265506.
  5. ^ "3 Terrorists Killed In Attack In Paris On El Al Passengers". The New York Times. 21 May 1978.
  6. ^ a b "Terrorists Botch Attack on El Al Plane at Orly; Holding 3 Hostages;". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 20 January 1975.
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