JUNE 30, 2007
It was the first time Scotland had been the target of a terrorist attack. But the terrorists had not reckoned on brave members of the Scottish public who, with police, fought them off, potentially saving thousands of lives.
On this day 14 years ago, a Jeep Cherokee laden with propane gas cylinders and petrol cans was driven at speed into the doors of the
Glasgow Airport departure area on one of the busiest days of the year.
Inside, 4,000 people packed the terminal and the departure halls on the first Saturday of the school summer holidays. They watched in horror as the terrorists – Iraqi doctor Bilal Abdulla, 27, and 28-year-old Indian-born engineer Kafeel Ahmed – crashed the Jeep into a pillar and, when it failed to explode, began to throw petrol bombs.
As people began to run for their lives, Abdulla got out of the vehicle and attacked a policeman but was tackled by passers-by, including taxi driver Alex Mcilveen. As they fought with Abdulla, his co-conspirator, covered in flames, went to the vehicle’s boot that contained gas canisters and petrol but was pulled away and brought to the ground by Stephen Clarkson.
Hero Scot Mcilveen, and Clarkson, along with John Smeaton, and Michael Kerr, later received Pride of Britain bravery awards.
Abdulla was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 32 years while Ahmed died from burns a month after the attack.