Lockerbie bombing

Lockerbie bombing

The Lockerbie bombing, also known as the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, was a terrorist attack that occurred on December 21, 1988. The bombing took place aboard Pan Am Flight 103, a transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The aircraft was destroyed by a bomb, killing all 243 passengers and 16 crew members on board, as well as 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland.

The Lockerbie bombing remains one of the deadliest acts of terrorism in the United Kingdom's history. The attack was attributed to Libyan intelligence agents and led to years of investigations and legal proceedings. In 2001, one of the suspects, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, he was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 due to his terminal illness and passed away in 2012.

The Lockerbie bombing had a profound impact on the international community and led to increased security measures in airports worldwide. It also left a lasting mark on the families and friends of the victims, who continue to seek justice and remember their loved ones. The tragedy serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of terrorism and the importance of international cooperation in combating such acts.