1977 Dutch train hijacking
| 1977 Dutch train hijacking | |
|---|---|
Hijacker running past the hijacked train with a South Moluccan flag | |
| Location | De Punt, Netherlands |
| Coordinates | 53°7′N 6°36′E / 53.117°N 6.600°E |
| Date | 23 May – 11 June 1977 (20 days) |
| Target | Train |
Attack type | Hostage-taking |
| Weapons | Guns, handguns |
| Deaths | 8 (including 6 perpetrators) |
| Injured | 6 |
| Perpetrators | Moluccan nationalists (9 perpetrators) |
| Motive | Establishment of the Republic of South Maluku |
On 23 May 1977, a train was hijacked near the village of De Punt, Netherlands. At around 9 am, nine armed Moluccan nationalists pulled the emergency brake and took over 50 people hostage. The hijacking lasted 20 days and ended with a raid by Dutch counter-terrorist special forces, during which two hostages and six hijackers were killed.
The same day as the train hijacking, four other Moluccans took over 100 hostages at a primary school in Bovensmilde, around 20 km (12 mi) away.