- Omani co-pilot radicalised, attacked Flydubai pilot, intended suicide mission.
- Aircraft landed safely after passengers overpowered co-pilot seeking death.
- UAE leads investigation into incident with international agency assistance.
A major claim has emerged about the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Indian Flydubai pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and attempting to take control of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
According to an Israeli official, an examination of the co-pilot’s social media accounts showed that he was radicalised and had posted hateful content targeting Jews, including posts calling for their killing.
According to a report by The Times of Israel, the official said the attacker had also asked UAE crew members to kill him and was prepared to die by suicide.
“He was deeply influenced by a jihadist mindset. He talked about killing Jews,” the official was quoted as saying.
Co-Pilot Was Ready To Die By Suicide
The Omani co-pilot was arrested in Saudi Arabia following the incident. The flight was able to make a safe emergency landing after passengers and off-duty pilots helped overpower him.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the accused was talking about killing himself after being restrained. Evidence from his personal belongings and social media accounts allegedly showed that he was influenced by jihadist ideology.
US President Donald Trump has also raised the possibility of the accused having links to Iran.
UAE Leads Investigation
Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said the co-pilot had boarded the flight with the intention of committing suicide and destroying the aircraft. After being restrained, he was heard shouting, “Kill me, kill me,” Netanyahu said.
Following the incident, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev suspended Flydubai flights as part of a security review.
Authorities are also investigating how the accused managed to take a sharp weapon into the cockpit.
The UAE Public Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation, with agencies from Saudi Arabia, Israel, the US and Oman assisting. Saudi Arabia has handed the accused over to the UAE.
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