DURBAN, South Africa -- Mercenaries fleeing an abortive coup in the Seychelles islands hijacked an Air India jetliner today and forced it to fly to Durban where they surrendered after freeing the 79 passengers and crew.
Unofficial sources said eight hijackers forced the Boeing 707 to take off from the main airport on the Indian Ocean island as government troops held at bay by other mercenaries raked it with gunfire.
The sources said one of the mercenaries died on the flight from wounds sustained in the ground fighting before the hijacking. Another hijacker arrived seriously wounded, but none of the passengers or crew was hurt in the drama off the east coast of Africa.
A government source said fighting at the airport apparently still was taking place early today but Radio Mauritius, quoting official Seychelles sources, said the attackers had been defeated and Seychelles forces had regained control.
In a brief statement announcing the surrender, Foreign Minister Roelof Botha said some of the hijackers allegedly were South African.
A government spokesman said the hijackers were being flown to South Africa's capital of Pretoria for questioning, but refused to give any further details on their identity.
Reports from the Seychelles said the Boeing 707 was hijacked after landing at the capital of Mahe during a gunbattle between the mercenaries and Seychelles government forces.
Government forces said the mercenaries commandeered the plane and forced it to fly to Durban, 2,400 miles southwest on South Africa's east coast, where it landed shortly after 5 a.m local time.
A South African civil aviation spokesman said the passengers, who included several children, were released after three hours of negotiations. The 14-member crew was kept aboard at gunpoint but was released when the hijackers surrendered.
The hijackers had demanded a doctor and morphine be put aboard the plane before they surrendered.
The source in the Seychelles said a number of armed men flew to Mahe international airport Wednesday on an Air Swazi flight from Manzini, Swaziland, a small landlocked country in southeast Africa bordering South Africa and Mozambique.
The source said airport officials detected weapons and a gunfight broke out.
The source said the armed men grabbed an unknown number of hostages and overran the airport control tower. The Air India flight arrived five hours later with the pilot unaware of the fighting.
The officials said the airliner tried to land at Jan Smuts airport in Johannesburg but was diverted to Durban.
They said the aircraft was originally scheduled to fly from the Seychelles in Bombay, India.
Authorities sealed off the airport in Durban, cancelling all flights during negotiations with the hijackers. The plane was parked on the main runway at Louis Botha airport.
The foreign ministry spokesman said the South African Railway police hijack task force was alerted as soon as it became clear the plane was to land in South Africa.
Railway police are responsible for airport security in South Africa.
The Seychelles, an archipelago of about 90 islands with an estimated 63,000 residents in the Indian Ocean about 1,000 miles off the coast of East Africa, won its independence from Britain in 1976.
Its first president, James Mancham,was overthrown in a leftist coup in 1977 and France Albert Rene took over, vowing to bring a form of socialism to the islands, as well as emphasizing agriculture, tourism and fishing.
In the past he has warned that mercenaries were plotting to topple him.
In a brief statement announcing the surrender, Foreign Minister Roelof Botha said some of the hijackers allegedly were South African.
Reports from the Indian Ocean island said the Boeing 707 was hijacked after landing at Seychelles capital of Mahe during a gunbattle between the suspected mercenaries and Seychelles government forces.
Government forces said the mercenaries commandeered the plane and forced it to fly to Durban, 2,400 miles southwest on South Africa's east coast, where it landed shortly after 5 a.m local time.
A South African civil aviation spokesman said the passengers, who included several children, were released after three hours of negotiations. The 14-member crew was kept aboard at gunpoint but was released when the hijackers surrendered.
The hijackers had demanded a doctor and morphine be put aboard the plane before they surrendered.
The source in the Seychelles said a number of armed men flew to Mahe international airport Wednesday on an Air Swazi flight from Manzini, Swaziland, a small landlocked country in southeast Africa bordering South Africa and Mozambique.
The source said airport officials detected weapons and a gunfight broke out.
The source said the armed men grabbed an unknown number of hostages and overran the airport control tower. The Air India flight arrived five hours later with the pilot unaware of the fighting.
The source said fighting at the airport apparently still was taking place early today. The number of attackers was not known.
The officials said the airliner tried to land at Jan Smuts airport in Johannesburg but was diverted to Durban.
They said the aircraft was originally scheduled to fly from the Seychelles in Bombay, India.
Authorities sealed off the airport in Durban, cancelling all flights during negotiations with the hijackers. The plane was parked on the main runway at Louis Botha airport.
The foreign ministry spokesman said the South African Railway police hijack task force was alerted as soon as it became clear the plane was to land in South Africa.
Railway police are responsible for airport security in South Africa.
The Seychelles, an archipelago of about 90 islands with an estimated 63,000 residents in the Indian Ocean about 1,000 miles off the coast of East Africa, won its independence from Britain in 1976.
Its first president, James Mancham,was overthrown in a leftist coup in 1977 and France Albert Rene took over, vowing to bring a form of socialism to the islands, as well as emphasizing agriculture, tourism and fishing.
In the past he has warned that mercenaries were plotting to topple him.
