The U.S. Department of State's Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction in any country of any individual who committed, attempted, or conspired to commit, or aided or abetted in the commission of the July 19, 1994, terrorist bombing of Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 (AC Flight 901) in Panama.
The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence has assessed that Hizballah was responsible for the bombing of AC 901.
AC Flight 901 was traveling to Panama City, Panama, when a bomb on board detonated shortly after takeoff from France Field in Colón, Panama. The explosion caused the aircraft to crash in a remote jungle approximately 10 miles from the airport. All 21 passengers, including three U.S. citizens, were killed. Following the attack, an individual by the name of Ali Hawa Jamal, who also died in the bombing, was identified as the suspect who carried the bomb aboard the aircraft.
The bombing of AC 901 occurred one day after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device was detonated at the Argentine Jewish Mutual Aid Society building in Buenos Aires, Argentina, killing 85 people and injuring 300. A group calling itself Ansar Allah, which the U.S. government has determined is an alias for Hizballah, issued a statement in Lebanon a few days later claiming responsibility for both attacks.
