Sharjah Coup Attempt
In January 1972 during an attempted coup d'état in which 18 armed supporters of the former ruler of Sharjah, who actually included the former ruler, Sheikh Saqr bin Sultan (who ruled from 1951 until deposed by British in 1965), attacked and seized the palace. Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammad el Qassim, ruler since 1965, was killed along with one of his bodyguards in the process. The palace was then surrounded by Sharjah soldiers and troops of the Union Defence Force. Several UDF troops were wounded, including a British Captain, before the rebels surrendered next morning.
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Famous quotes containing the word attempt:
“The ignorant are a reservoir of daring. It almost seems that those who have yet to discover the known are particularly equipped for dealing with the unknown. The unlearned have often rushed in where the learned feared to tread, and it is the credulous who are tempted to attempt the impossible. They know not whither they are going, and give chance a chance.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)