The UAE Prosecutor's Office officially called the incident on a Flydubai flight an attempted terrorist attack
Kyiv • UNN
The United Arab Emirates Prosecutor's Office said that the incident aboard Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was bound for Israel, was an attempted terrorist attack.
UAE Federal Prosecutor Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said that the co-pilot of Flydubai flight FZ1073, which was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv on September 30, attempted to carry out a terrorist attack. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the co-pilot of flight FZ1073 was identified as Omani national Hammam al-Hammami. Two sources familiar with the situation and the investigation confirmed his name to the agency, but the UAE authorities have not officially confirmed his identity.
After the attack, the passengers and crew members subdued the co-pilot. The relief pilot, who was on board, took over control and landed the aircraft at Tabuk Airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia. There, the co-pilot was detained by Saudi law enforcement officers. Israeli officials said that his actions were an obvious attempt to crash the aircraft, which was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew members.
The investigation into the incident involving Flydubai flight FZ1073 established that the co-pilot had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack
According to the attorney general, during the flight the co-pilot attacked the captain in the cockpit with an axe, after which he tried to take control of the aircraft.
It is noted that an emergency axe is standard equipment in a pilots' cockpit and is intended for use in emergencies, particularly in the event of a crash.
Following the UAE attorney general's statement, the country's senior presidential adviser, Anwar Gargash, said on the social media platform X that the UAE adheres to a policy of zero tolerance for terrorism and has no intention of treating extremist statements leniently.
It is noted that the majority of the flight's passengers were Israeli citizens.
We remind you
The Flydubai aircraft sent distress and possible hijacking signals, after which Israel scrambled fighter jets. The flight landed in Tabuk.