Mass kidnappings have long stood as an ancient tool of war, typically affecting civilians who lose freedom of movement and end up used as currency in negotiations. The focus here is not the individuals alone but the act of hostage taking itself, since kidnapping is a crime in every state’s penal code. In both cases, lives are endangered to obtain something in return. The examples below illustrate how hostages have endured severe restrictions on their autonomy and how their fate often hinges on their captors’ plans. These episodes reveal the grim nature of this tactic across decades and continents.
Olympics injury
The night bridging September 5 to 6, 1972, involved eight members of the Palestinian group Black September who kidnapped 11 Israeli athletes and coaches during the Munich Olympic Games. The attackers demanded the release of more than 200 Palestinians detained in Israel, along with known German figures. The operation resulted in the deaths of the athletes and a German police officer. Five members of the commando were killed, three were captured and later released after a failed rescue, and 53 days later the Lufthansa flight hijacking ended with a conclusion that left a lasting mark on Olympic security. The Munich tragedy ended an era of assumed innocence at the Games and prompted lasting changes in security measures at states, airports, and Olympic villages alike.
That event forever altered how events are protected and surveilled, reminding the world that even high-profile gatherings can become flashpoints for violent political demands.
‘Operation Thunder’
On June 27, 1976, an Air France plane flying from Athens to Paris was hijacked by a Palestinian commando with 248 people aboard. The aircraft was diverted to Entebbe, Uganda, where non-Jewish passengers were released. Israel mounted a daring rescue operation—‘Operation Thunder’—on the night of July 3–4, with an elite unit infiltrating Entebbe. The Israeli commander led the mission, and in the end, the operation killed all the hijackers and 45 Ugandan soldiers, while three hostages were killed. A handful of attackers and several hostages died, and some rescuers were injured. The incident underscored the risks of airborne hijackings and spurred more robust safety protocols that followed in aviation around the world. The operation’s legacy continues to be studied in military and counter-terrorism circles.
The first documented hijacking occurred in 1929 in Mexico. Since then, airport security measures expanded significantly in the late 20th century, and after the events of 9/11, U.S. and global aviation authorities enshrined stricter rules that many nations adopted in the years that followed.
Attack in Managua
A 25-member force from the Sandinista National Liberation Front assaulted the Managua National Palace on August 22, 1978, during a National Congress session. The attackers seized around 3,000 hostages and negotiated for their release in exchange for political concessions. The hostages were gradually freed as negotiations advanced, and the attackers finally left the country after demanding the release of 50 political prisoners, along with a payment of half a million dollars. A public statement from Sandinista leadership confirmed the developments as the guerrilla movement sought power. By July 1979, the Sandinistas had overthrown the government, and Eden Pastora, who led the assault on Congress, later held a government position before going into exile in 1982 due to later disagreements with the governing leadership.
US embassies in Tehran
Islamic students seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, taking 52 diplomats and staff hostage. The crisis stretched to 444 days, marked by failed diplomatic efforts and a presidential rescue attempt that did not achieve its aims. Negotiations with intermediaries proved inconclusive, and the hostages were not released until January 20, 1981, coinciding with a presidential transition. The event famously inspired later cinematic depictions and served as a turning point in U.S.–Iran relations for years to come. Several officials managed to escape during the crisis, seeking asylum or refuge in other nations, which added a layer of peril to an already volatile situation.
The day of the attack, some diplomats escaped, and the episode later contributed to a narrative that helped shape international film and political history, including depictions that recalled the resilience and risk faced by those involved.
Attack on the Central Bank
A group of 11 seized the Central Bank’s headquarters in Barcelona on May 23, 1981, taking approximately 300 hostages. After a tense standoff, many captives were released in exchange for food, but negotiations stalled. The operation ended with the attackers surrendering and nine of them arrested. The lead figure described by authorities as a controversial actor has been judged in various ways, and the overall episode remains a focal point in discussions about the motives behind such bank-centered kidnappings. The event lasted about 37 hours, with only one attacker killed and another injured, as the civil guard and security forces moved to resolve the crisis. The broader context remains a reminder of the unpredictable dynamics of hostage situations in urban centers.
‘Achille-Lauro’
The Italian luxury liner Achille Lauro was hijacked on October 7, 1985, by four members of the Palestine Liberation Front. During the standoff, 50 Palestinian detainees in Israel were released. The ship eventually reached Port Said, Egypt, where command negotiations concluded the hijacking, but a major crisis unfolded as then-President Ronald Reagan pressed for the capture of the hijackers. An American citizen was killed during the incident, and EgyptAir ultimately ferried the hijackers to Tunisia. Tensions spiked as American and Egyptian authorities navigated the crisis, culminating in diplomatic disagreements that required careful mediation and resulted in a public, televised response from leaders at the time.
Saddam’s ‘human shields’
When Iraq invaded Kuwait on August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein’s regime used foreign residents as leverage—turning thousands of foreigners into potential human shields. The situation prompted swift military considerations and restrained actions, as negotiations with intermediaries sought to safeguard civilians while addressing strategic demands. Over time, more than 8,000 foreigners were encouraged to leave the region, with staged departures allowing for controlled evacuations. The episode highlighted the brutal calculus behind using civilians as leverage and the international attention such tactics drew as regional dynamics shifted dramatically in the early 1990s.
Ambassador’s residence in Lima
The Japanese ambassador’s residence in Peru became the site of a high-profile kidnapping on December 17, 1996, amid celebrations for Emperor Akihito’s birthday. An estimated 800 guests were affected, including prominent figures, and 14 members of the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement participated. More than 700 hostages were released in the hours that followed, while 72 individuals remained in captivity for a period. After 126 days, 71 hostages were freed on April 22, 1997, and one hostage did not survive a military operation. The incident spurred legal and human rights inquiries that underscored the lasting consequences of such actions on a national scale. The complex aftermath included rulings by regional courts regarding responsibility and the right to life, shaping subsequent policy discussions in Peru and beyond.
Death in theater
In October 2002, a Chechen group seized the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow, holding about 800 spectators hostage. The attackers demanded an end to the Chechen conflict and the withdrawal of Russian forces. In the early hours, special forces used a narcotic gas to attempt a rescue, but the operation resulted in the deaths of 119 hostages and all attackers. President Vladimir Putin later addressed the nation and apologized for the loss of life, acknowledging the heavy price paid during the rescue attempt and the imperfect outcome of the tactic used to save lives.
Massacre in a school
The Beslan school siege in North Ossetia began on September 1, 2004, as 32 militants held about 1,300 people, including many children, at Beslan’s Number 1 School. Negotiations to secure safe release failed, and a brutal assault followed on September 3, with helicopters and tanks deployed by security forces. The crisis ended with 344 hostages dead, including 186 children, along with 11 soldiers and 31 attackers. The European Court of Human Rights later held the Russian government responsible for the massacre in 2017, highlighting the enduring ramifications of the crisis and the international scrutiny that followed.
Journalists and aid workers in Syria
Between 2013 and 2014, roughly twenty journalists and aid workers were kidnapped in Syria by the group that would become known as the Islamic State. Notable figures included Marc Marginedas, a special envoy for El Períodico, who was detained for six months and released on March 2, 2014. Others, including Javier Espinosa and Ricardo Garcia Vilanova, escaped or were rescued in subsequent days. Some Western hostages were executed, with footage disseminated by the captors. Reflections on these experiences are archived in documentary works that recount the resilience and peril faced by reporters in conflict zones, underscoring the distinct vulnerability of aid workers and journalists in war zones.
Enslaved girls
The Boko Haram movement abducted 279 girls from a school in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria, on April 14, 2014. Initial searches failed to locate many of the missing, and several dozen remained unaccounted for years later. In the following period, additional girls were found or located, but many remained unaccounted for. The broader jihadist threat persisted, with ongoing concerns about the safety of women and girls in the region. The Chibok case sparked international activism under the banner Bring Back Our Girls, drawing global attention to the scale of abductions and prompting sustained advocacy for release and protection. Between 2014 and 2015, nearly 2,000 women and girls were abducted in Nigeria, signaling a persistent, multi-year crisis that continued to echo around the world.