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Days aft a FlyDubai co-pilot made a violent effort to clang the rider aircraft and was subdued by passengers and different unit members, questions astir his motive continued to swirl. He is presently being questioned successful the United Arab Emirates.
The formation Wednesday from Dubai to Tel Aviv was approaching Israel erstwhile the co-pilot allegedly stabbed the formation skipper and attempted to clang the aircraft, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said. The skipper was capable to combat disconnected the co-pilot agelong capable to unlock the cockpit door. Passengers past overpowered the co-pilot, and 2 off-duty pilots who were connected the formation managed to summation power of the craft and marque an exigency landing successful Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
The co-pilot is presently being questioned successful the United Arab Emirates.
There were 174 radical on committee the plane. No passengers were earnestly injured successful the incident. The aviator sustained stab wounds successful the attack. Saudi authorities said 2 unit members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries, and the co-pilot remained successful custody connected Thursday.
Who was the FlyDubai co-pilot?
The co-pilot of the formation has not yet been publically identified, though aggregate sources acquainted with the probe told CBS News connected Friday that his sanction is Hamam al Hamami.
Al Hamami worked for a abbreviated clip for Oman Air, wherever helium entered caller aviator training. Surveillance by the Omani authorities discovered that helium was visiting extremist websites, the sources said. Oman Air past transferred him to an bureau job.
One of the sources said the aviator resigned from his occupation astatine Oman Air aft being placed connected table duty. He near the hose astir 2024.
At 1 point, sources said, al Hamami posted a video of El Al Israeli Airlines planes successful Dubai with a photograph astatine the extremity of the clip showing Ayman al-Zawahiri, a well-known al Qaeda person who was killed successful a U.S. drone onslaught successful 2022.
Al Hamami moved to Dubai, and FlyDubai hired him without vetting him with the Omani government, the sources told CBS News.
Al Hamami is an Omani national but was not calved successful Oman, the sources said. He lived astir of his beingness extracurricular Oman, according to the sources, who disclosed that his parent is Syrian and his begetter is Omani.
The Omani authorities has not publically confirmed his nationality.
The sources said it is imaginable helium had dual citizenship due to the fact that that could explicate however helium was allowed to alert to Israel.
A FlyDubai formation bound for Dubai is seen earlier taking disconnected from Ben Gurion Airport adjacent Tel Aviv connected Sept. 30, 2026.
Jack GUEZ /AFP via Getty Images
Co-pilot's motive unknown
The co-pilot's motive successful the alleged onslaught remains unknown. The UAE's lawyer wide said Saturday helium attacked his chap aviator with the cockpit's exigency ax.
"As clip passes, the representation is becoming clearer; the attacker underwent Islamist radicalization. He came to clang the level with its passengers," Netanyahu said successful a connection Friday. "We are investigating whether helium was dispatched, and whoever sent him volition wage a precise dense price."
Netanyahu speculated to CBS News connected Wednesday that the incidental looked "like a termination attempt," referring to witnesses who said the co-pilot had tried to jam the plane's instrumentality alternatively of stabilizing the aircraft. After passengers subdued the co-pilot, helium shouted for idiosyncratic to termination him, Netanyahu told Fox News connected Thursday.
In the aforesaid interrogation with Fox, Netanyahu said "personal information" gathered during ongoing questioning had led Israel to the decision that the co-pilot "underwent Islamist extremist indoctrination." He did not connection much information.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz connected Wednesday called the incidental "an attempted jihadist panic attack," and referred to the co-pilot arsenic a "terrorist."
President Trump suggested Thursday that the co-pilot whitethorn beryllium linked to Iran, "based connected what I'm hearing."
"We're moving connected it close now," Mr. Trump said. "They're being precise unfastened with us. I would accidental the answer, based connected what I'm hearing, is yes. But we're moving connected it close now."
His comments went further than Netanyahu's, who told Fox it was "too aboriginal to say" if Iran was involved.
An Israeli information authoritative told CBS News that authorities were investigating the anticipation the incidental could person been an attempted Sept. 11-style panic attack, and were besides probing whether the attacker was moving alone. Netanyahu has warned successful caller days of unspecified, escalating information threats to Israel and its interests amid its ongoing operations against Iran-allied Hamas successful the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah successful Lebanon.
Co-pilot to beryllium questioned successful UAE
The co-pilot was placed nether apprehension immediately.
He was transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the UAE for questioning by Israeli, UAE and Saudi officials, an Israeli authoritative confirmed to CBS News connected Friday.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu said the antheral was "being questioned by the Saudi authorities" and confirmed that Israeli authorities would "join the interrogation and find retired what happened determination exactly."
Netanyahu has not said what accusation has led investigators to reason the co-pilot underwent radicalization.
Editor's note: This communicative has been updated to bespeak that the aviator resigned from Oman Air and wasn't fired.
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