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10 Surviving Hostage Rescue Missions

On September 5, 1972, armed members of the Palestinian terrorist group Black September seized 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Village in Munich. They demanded the release from prison of 234 of their fellow terrorists. The terrorists and their hostages were flown by helicopter to Furstenfeldbruk military airport. From here they were promised they would be given safe passage to Cairo. However, as they left the helicopters, hidden snipers opened fire, killing two terrorists and wounding others, as well as two helicopter crewmen. The surviving terrorists managed to get back to the helicopters. In cold blood, they executed five of their hostages in one helicopter before blowing it up, while the other helicopter exploded in the

The helicopter is ideal for reaching remote locations. The SAS practice abseil drops from helicopters onto oil rigs in the icy North Sea off the coast of eastern England and Scotland.