UAE authorities: Flydubai second pilot planned attack, Israel joins investigation
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the investigation established that the Flydubai second pilot had begun carrying out a terrorist operation. Israel is taking part in the investigation.
Abdulrahman Sadikhli3 min read
UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi said the investigation into the incident on board the Flydubai flight established that the second pilot had begun carrying out a "terrorist operation." According to him, the co-pilot started to implement his plan in the middle of the flight.
As the UAE state news agency WAM reported, al-Shamsi said the second pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit, using an emergency axe, and tried to seize control of the aircraft. The prosecutor noted that the investigation is continuing.
"The investigation is continuing to establish all the circumstances of the incident, its motives and related connections, as well as to complete technical examinations and the study of physical and digital evidence," al-Shamsi said, adding that the final results would be announced after the necessary procedures are completed.
There were 172 passengers on board the plane flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv, including 166 Israelis, as well as crew members. According to AFP, the second pilot wounded the Indian captain, who, despite his injury, managed to open the cockpit door, which allowed passengers and part of the crew to subdue the attacker. Flight 1073 was forced to make an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
Israel joins investigation
The Saudi authorities detained the second pilot, and on Thursday he was transferred to the UAE. Israeli officials are expected to question him. An Israeli government official confirmed that Israeli investigators are taking part alongside the UAE authorities in the investigation, which is being led by the UAE and is intended to establish what happened and to clarify the motives and background of the suspect.
The attacker, identified as Hammam al-Hammami, was born to an Omani father and a Syrian mother. According to international reports, he was stripped of the right to fly in his homeland, Oman, over suspicions of adherence to "extremist views." It was noted that he worked at Oman Air, and then moved to Flydubai after an unsuccessful attempt to get a job at Emirates.
Reaction to the attack
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the second pilot had "undergone ideological indoctrination with Islamic extremism" and had intended to bring down the plane. He warned that any party whose involvement is confirmed would pay "a very high price."
"With time the picture is becoming clearer: the attacker went through a path of Islamic radicalization and came to destroy the plane together with all the passengers on board," Netanyahu said.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran with "a very strong blow" if its involvement in the attack is confirmed, adding that in his opinion Iran is involved in what happened. UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called the incident a "serious terrorist act."
Israelis return from the UAE
On Saturday morning, the first plane carrying Israelis returning from the UAE arrived in Tel Aviv, after Flydubai temporarily suspended flights to Israel. According to Ben Gurion Airport, a flight by the Israeli low-cost airline Arkia arrived from Dubai shortly after 1 a.m. local time. Earlier, Israel's national airline El Al cancelled flights scheduled for Friday. Israel's Transport Ministry said Israel cannot yet operate special flights, citing the need to complete preparations and coordination with UAE security agencies.
Source: bbc.com
