the georgian communist party chief, eduard shevardnadze, called for the deployment of an elite soviet special unit alpha group from moscow. on day two of the hijacking the alpha group stormed the aircraft and arrested the surviving hijackers. the incident claimed the lives of three crew members, two passengers and three hijackers. the aircraft received 108 bullet holes during the attack, and because its structure was weakened by manoeuvres that exceeded its design limits, the aircraft was written off.