Netanyahu Says Omani Co-Pilot Was “Radicalized” After Flydubai Cockpit Stabbing
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Omani co-pilot accused of stabbing a colleague on a Flydubai flight and trying to seize the aircraft had
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Omani co-pilot accused of stabbing a colleague on a Flydubai flight and trying to seize the aircraft had gone through Islamic radicalization. The attack unfolded on Wednesday aboard a Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight with 174 people on board.
The remarks sharpened questions around motive and security after passengers and crew overpowered the man and the plane landed safely. Israeli officials say they will join the investigation, while Netanyahu said Israel is looking into whether anyone else was involved.
Probe widens after emergency landing
The aircraft plunged more than 17,000 feet about two hours into the journey before the cockpit assault was stopped. The plane later made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi authorities said on Thursday morning that both the pilot and co-pilot had been sent back to the United Arab Emirates after medical teams cleared them. A source said Israeli officials plan to question the co-pilot, who was transferred to the UAE on Thursday.
Netanyahu told Fox News the attacker appeared to have undergone “Islamist radical indoctrination” and said it looked “very likely” he had intended to bring the plane down. On another program, he said investigators were still determining the motive, including whether the attack was an act of terrorism.
Airline and regional authorities respond
The UAE state news agency said investigations had begun there to determine whether the incident was linked to any terrorist activity or purpose. UAE officials had earlier claimed jurisdiction over the case because the aircraft is registered there and flies under its flag.
Netanyahu said Israeli investigators would join the questioning once it began. He described the passenger who helped subdue the attacker as a hero.
Flydubai’s chief executive also commented on the incident, according to Reuters reporting, as the airline and regional authorities moved to piece together how a cockpit attack on a commercial flight spiraled within minutes into an emergency landing and a multinational investigation.
Source: axios.com
