SOVIET PLANE HIJACKED

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 17

SOVIET PLANE HIJACKED

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) MOSCOW, Oct. 16. The Soviet Government has asked Turkey to hand over two “criminal murderers” who hijacked a Russian plane to Turkey yesterday, it was announced in Moscow. The announcement, carried by the official news agency, Tass, said that a stewardess had been killed and the two pilots wounded when two armed “bandits” attacked the crew. Tass said the plane was a

two-engined Antonox An 24. Reports from Istanbul said the plane was an Ilyushin Ills turbo-prop. The agency said “the Soviet Government has asked the Turkish authorities to extradite the criminal murders, for trial in the U.S.S.R., and also to return the airliner and the Soviet citizens who were on board the An 24.” The turbo-prop plane was on a regular flight from the Black Sea resort of Batumi to Sukhumi, about 100 miles to the north. ,“Two armed bandits, having used arms against the airliner’s crew, made it change the route of flight and

land on Turkish territory in the town of Trabzon,” Tass added. It said the stewardess had been killed while trying to block the attackers' way to the pilot’s cabin. It gave no other details. The two men, who were taken into custody by Turk-

i ish authorities, said that they ; sought political asylum in Turkey. They are a man and I his son. I > The cabled photograph i shows the aircraft standing deserted on the Trabzon i airport, while its fate was ■ being decided.