- 1995 Kidnapping of western tourists in Kashmir
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The 1995 Kidnapping of western tourists in Kashmir was an act of kidnapping of six foreign tourists by Al-Faran, a terrorist organisation, now known as Harkat-ul-Mujahideen from the Liddarwat area of Pahalgam in Anantnag district in south Jammu and Kashmir on 4 July 1995.[1]
Contents
Background
Kashmir which has been described as 'Paradise on Earth' had been a popular tourist destination. In 1989, an armed insurgency started in Jammu and Kashmir which is still ongoing.
The Kidnappings
The six victims included two British tourists, Keith Mangan and Paul Wells; two Americans, John Childs of Simsbury, Connecticut and Donald Hutchings of Spokane, Washington; a German, Dirk Hasert; and a Norwegian, Hans Christian Ostrø. A note released by the kidnappers a day after the kidnappings said 'Accept our demands or face dire consequences. We are fighting against anti-Islamic forces. Western countries are anti-Islam, and America is the biggest enemy of Islam.'[2] Childs managed to escape and was rescued four days later.[3] Ostrø was beheaded by his abductors and his body was found near Pahalgam on 13 August 1995.[4] The words Al Faran were carved onto his chest.[5] The kidnappers demanded the release of Pakistani militant Maulana Masood Azhar who had been imprisoned by India and 20 other prisoners. Several national and international organisations issued appeals to Al-Faran to release the tourists. Representatives of the embassies of the victims' countries also visited Kashmir frequently to seek their release, without success. In December 1995, the kidnappers left a note that they were no longer holding the men hostage.[6] Mangan, Wells, Hutchings, and Hasert have never been found are presumed to have been killed.
In May 1996, a captured rebel told Indian investigators and F.B.I. agents that he had heard that all four hostages had been shot dead on 13 December 1995, nine days after an Indian military ambush that killed four of the original hostage-takers, including the man said to have been leading them, Abdul Hamid Turki.[7] [1]
The aftermath
The kidnappings were widely covered by western press and helped bring terrorism in Kashmir to the International communities attention. Donald Hutchings wife Jane Schelly made repeated trips to the region to try to get some answers in vain.[8] In 1997, Indian police exhumed a body that was initially thought to be of British tourist Paul Wells.[9] However subsequent forensic tests ruled out that the body belonged to any of the tourists.[10] Maulana Masood Azhar was subsequently released in exchange for passengers aboard hijacked Indian Airlines Flight 814 along with Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. Sheikh was arrested in 2002 and was later tried and convicted for the kidnapping and beheading of Daniel Pearl.
References
- ^ Fifth Tourist Kidnapped in Kashmir, The New York Times, 1995-07-09
- ^ Hijacking Revives Saga of Kashmir Kidnappings in '95, The New York Times, 1999-12-31
- ^ American Tricks Captors in Kashmir and Bolts to Freedom, The New York Times, 1995-07-10
- ^ Kashmiri Rebels Decapitate Captive Norwegian Tourist, The New York Times, 1995-08-14
- ^ Kidnapped book review, The New York Times, 1998-08-09
- ^ Worry Rising For Hostages Seized in India, The New York Times, 1995-12-13
- ^ "Report: Spokane man killed in India : m.kitsapsun.com : Kitsap, Washington, News, Business, Homes, Jobs, Cars & Information". Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. http://m.kitsapsun.com/news/1996/Dec/23/report-spokane-man-killed-in-india/. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ No Answers for Wife of U.S. Hostage in Kashmir, The New York Times, 1997-07-06
- ^ Exhumed Body Is of British Hostage, India Confirms, The Los Angeles Times, 2000-01-06
- ^ Tests dispute Kashmir body identity, BBC, 2000-03-27
External links
- Ransom, The Untold Story of International Kidnapping by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach- Chapter 1
- In memory of Hans Christian Ostro, Daily Excelsior, 2001-08-09
- Al Faran and the Hostage Crisis in Kashmir, SAPRA India Foundation, 1996-03-10
- Profile: Maulana Masood Azhar, BBC, 2002-12-16
Categories:- Kashmir conflict
- Islamic terrorism in India
- History of Jammu and Kashmir
- Terrorist incidents in 1995
- Hostage taking
- 1995 in India
- Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir
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