1985day.year
Four men from the Palestine Liberation Front hijack the MS Achille Lauro off the coast of Egypt.
On October 7, 1985, members of the Palestine Liberation Front hijacked the Italian cruise ship MS Achille Lauro off Egypt's coast.
The hijacking of the MS Achille Lauro began as the cruise ship sailed from Alexandria toward Ashdod on October 7, 1985. Four militants seized control of the vessel, demanding the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. The tense standoff culminated in the murder of Leon Klinghoffer, an elderly American passenger in a wheelchair. International naval forces intercepted the hijackers after they fled to a hijacked airliner. The incident forced global powers to cooperate on counterterrorism measures and highlighted the growing threat of maritime terrorism.
hijack
MS Achille Lauro