The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Prosecutor General, Hamad Saif Al Shamsi, has said the co-pilot of a Flydubai flight attempted to carry out a “terrorist” attack by assaulting the captain and trying to take control of the aircraft.
Al Shamsi said on Saturday that the co-pilot attacked the pilot inside the cockpit with a crash axe before attempting to seize control of the aircraft.
A crash axe is an emergency tool normally kept in aircraft cockpits for use in situations such as crashes.
The prosecutor general said investigations were continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, the suspect’s motives and any possible connections, while authorities examine physical and digital evidence.
A source with direct knowledge of the matter identified the co-pilot as Hammam al-Hammami, an Omani national, Reuters reported. UAE authorities did not immediately respond to a request to confirm his identity.
Al Shamsi’s statement was the first time Emirati authorities had publicly described the incident as an attempted “terrorist” attack.
The incident occurred aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, where the Indian captain was reportedly assaulted by his co-pilot. The captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to overpower the attacker before the aircraft made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also claimed that the suspect had undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and had attempted to crash the aircraft.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Omani authorities had previously barred the suspect from flying over concerns about his alleged adoption of radical ideological views.
CNN, citing two sources familiar with the matter, separately reported that the pilot had been removed from a position at Oman’s national airline the previous year over concerns about extremist views.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident, including the suspect’s background, possible motives and any links to extremist activity.
(Reuters)
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