Pan Am Flight-73 alleged hijacker ‘killed’ in drone attack in Pakistan

Jamal Saeed Abdul Raheem an alleged suspect involved in Pan Am flight 73 hijacking case and killing of 20 US nationals on September 5, 1986 in Karachi has been killed in a suspected US drone strike on January 9, 2010 in North Wasiirstan Agency, a tribal region of Pakistan.

The official sources claim that Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim was killed along with two other foreigners in Ismail Khel village of Dattakhel in North Wasiristan Agency.

The US drone had fired two missiles in Ismail Khel destroying a house and a vehicle killing three foreigners including Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahman.

The 40-year-old Palestinian national was carrying a reward of US $5 million on his head from the American government.

Saeed Abdul Rahim was indicted in the District Court of Columbia along Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar for his alleged role in the September 5, 1986, hijacking of Pan American World Airways Flight 73 during a stop in Karachi, Pakistan. The attack resulted in the murder of 20 passengers and crew, including two American citizens.

Hijacking:

Pan Am flight 73 was hijacked at approximately 6 am. on September 5, 1986 by members of the Abu Nidal Organization, while on the ground in Karachi, Pakistan. After holding the aircraft and its 379 passengers and crew, including at least 78 U.S. citizens, for about 16 hours, the hijackers started firing indiscriminately at the passengers, causing the death of at least 20 persons and seriously wounding more than 100 others.

The 379 passengers and crew, including at least 78 U.S. citizens, were on board the aircraft at the time of the hijacking.

According to the U.S. Department of State the flight crew escaped, leaving the plane immobile.

The hijackers secured the airplane and made demands for a flight crew to fly the aircraft, hijackers, and passengers to Cyprus.

During the hijacking, one American citizen was killed in the doorway of the plane. At the end of the hijacking, the hijackers opened fire on the passengers. At least 20 passengers were murdered, and more than 100 were seriously wounded.

At that time, the Pakistani authorities arrested four suspects at the scene and later captured a fifth suspect who helped the planned attack. All five, including the four individual were tried, convicted and sentenced to prison in Pakistan.

In September 2001, Zayd Hassan Abd al-Latif Safarini, one of the five convicted terrorists, was released by Pakistani authorities. He was later apprehended by the FBI and prosecuted in U.S. federal court. On December 16, 2003, Safarini agreed to a plea agreement offered by the U.S. Department of Justice. On May 13, 2005 he was sentenced to 160 years in prison.

In January 2008, the four hijackers subject to this reward offer were reportedly released from Pakistani custody. Wadoud Muhammad Hafiz al-Turki, Jamal Saeed Abdul Rahim, Muhammad Abdullah Khalil Hussain ar-Rahayyal, and Muhammad Ahmed al-Munawar have been charged in the District Court of Columbia for their role in the hijacking and remain at large.

Jamal Abdul Rahim was born on September 5, 1965 in Lebanon and was believed to be the member of Abu Nidal Organization, an international terrorist network.

- Asian Tribune -