Sunday, August 14 2005 18:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Unveiling a tough anti-hijack policy, the Government today (Aug 14, 2005) said any hijacked plane being used as a missile to target vital installations like the 9/11 terror attack would be shot down.

The policy, cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Securities (CCS), ruled out negotiations with hijackers on their demands and said talks would only be aimed at preventing the loss of life or ending the incident.

Outlining the measures, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee told PTI if the hijacking took place on the Indian soil, the aircraft would be immobilized and not allowed to take off.

On not holding talks with hijackers, he said these would only be aimed at rescuing the aircraft and passengers, and if the plane was hijacked to a third country, negotiations would be conducted with concerned authorities.

Mukherjee said if the aircraft was in Indian air space, Air Force fighters would be scrambled to intercept it and force it to land on the Indian soil.

On shooting down the aircraft, the Minister said these would be undertaken in extreme circumstances as happened in the 9/11 terror attack.

He said the aircraft would be shot if it chose not to identify itself and appeared to have evil intentions of targeting vital installations.