1983 gulf air flight 771 is destroyed by a bomb killing all 112 09 23
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1983 43 years ago Selected Events September 23 3 sources

Flying from Pakistan, Gulf Air Flight 771 was bombed up by the Abu Nidal Organization while on approach over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), killing all 112 people on board.

On September 23, in the year 1983, Flying from Pakistan, Gulf Air Flight 771 was bombed up by the Abu Nidal Organization while on approach over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), killing all 112 people on board. This event is recorded as a Selected Events event in the history of September 23, a notable event in this corner of history.

Gulf Air Flight 771 was an international scheduled passenger flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, Pakistan, to Abu Dhabi International Airport, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. On 23 September 1983, while the Boeing 737-200 was on approach, a bomb, planted by the Iraqi-based Palestinian nationalist militant group, Abu Nidal Organization, exploded in the baggage compartment, resulting in a fire. The aircraft crashed in the desert near Jebel Ali between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. All 105 passengers and 7 crew members died. To date, it is the deadliest air disaster in the history of the United Arab Emirates, along with Sterling Airways Flight 296 which also had 112 fatalities in 1972.

Key Facts

  • This event took place on September 23, 1983 (AD era).
  • It is categorised as a Selected Events event in recorded history.
  • Referenced in 3 Wikipedia articles.
  • The event is associated with a specific geographical location (see map below).
  • Wikipedia source last updated on 9 July 2026.

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This article draws on content from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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