The first terrorist incident in Indonesian aviation history

 On March 28, 1981, the first terrorist incident in Indonesian aviation history occurred, involving Garuda Indonesia flight GA-206 from Jakarta to Medan. It transited in Palembang before being hijacked mid-air and ultimately landed in Bangkok, Thailand. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 named "Woyla."

The hijacking was carried out by five armed men from an extremist group calling themselves "Komando Jihad" (or members of Jamaah Imran).

The perpetrators forced the plane to divert to Penang, Malaysia, and then to Bangkok, Thailand. They demanded the release of 80 political prisoners, a ransom of US$1.5 million, the expulsion of Israeli citizens from Indonesia, and the removal of Vice President Adam Malik.

The hijacking drama lasted for 65 hours before finally being quelled by a lightning raid by Kopassandha (now Kopassus) special forces at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok, on March 31, 1981.

The Kopasandha troops employed a highly planned lightning raid strategy to free the hostages (48 passengers and 5 cabin crew).

The troops approached the plane at 2:45 a.m. under cover of darkness to avoid detection by the hijackers.

The team divided into small groups to attack from three entry points simultaneously to break up the hijackers' concentration.

Emergency Door (center, above the wings): Using the emergency stairs for quick entry.

Rear Door: Attacking through the rear of the aircraft.

Front Door/Pilot: Ensuring immediate control of the cockpit area.

The troops used special tools to forcefully and quickly break through the aircraft doors to surprise the hijackers.

Immediately upon entry, the troops shouted instructions for all passengers to lie on the floor of the aircraft. This was done to separate the hostages from the hijackers, who remained standing or wielding weapons.

The entire operation to neutralize the hijackers was carried out in a very short time, approximately 2 minutes and 49 seconds. This decisiveness and speed prevented the hijackers from detonating grenades or killing more hostages.

This operation resulted in two fatalities from the assault team: Lieutenant (posthumously) Achmad Kirang and Captain Herman Rante.

There were no passenger fatalities during the rescue operation.