Hijacking Of Air France Flight 8969 (The Eiffel Tower Terrorist Operation)

After the electoral victory by the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS), the leaders of the Algerian government, headed under pro-reform president Chadli Bendjedid, used the military to crackdown and arrest the leaders of the FIS which the witnessed the country descend into an 11 year civil war. By 1994, the country was on high alert and armed Islamic groups began terrorizing the French residents from the country. On December 24th 1994 Air France 8989, a plane taking off from Algeria and heading to France was hijacked by members of the the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA) at Houari Boumediene Airport, Algiers. The hijackers exclaimed they wanted to use the opportunity to demand the release of two Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) political party leaders, Abassi Madani and Ali Belhadj. However, the true nature of the hijacking was far more nefarious than what was stated by the hijackers.