Passengers Thwart Alleged Terror Attack on Flydubai Flight to Israel

Passengers aboard a Flydubai flight bound for Israel recounted their harrowing experience after the plane made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Passengers and crew members reportedly subdued a man who attacked the pilots, preventing a potential catastrophe. Israeli passenger Yitzhak Liber described how he and others "dragged him out of the cockpit" after the assailant, armed with a knife, injured one of the pilots. Liber stated that the "terrorist is neutralized" and that two pilots were wounded, with one sustaining serious injuries but managing to land the aircraft.

Following the apprehension of the attacker, passengers took measures to ensure the cockpit door remained secured. Liber noted the intense struggle, stating, "We had to change clothes because they are all bloody," and praised the intervening passengers as heroes who averted disaster. Another passenger captured footage showing the injured attacker surrounded by others while passengers guarded the cockpit.

In a video recorded before landing, a passenger appealed for assistance, stating, "We are in flight, we have captured terrorists. We are preparing to land. We need help." He identified the landing location as Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, and confirmed all passengers were safe except for the injured pilot.

Israeli authorities are working to repatriate the passengers and are investigating how the Omani co-pilot, identified as the attacker, was cleared to fly to Israel. A senior Israeli official suggested the incident could have led to a "massive catastrophe," likening the co-pilot's actions to a "9/11" attempt to either crash the plane into Israel or hijack it. The official added that the "crew captured the attacker and the plane," preventing a terrible disaster.

The injured pilot was evacuated for medical treatment, and the alleged attacker is in custody. The investigation into the security protocols for foreign crew members, particularly those from Arab or Gulf states, is ongoing due to the sensitive nature of regional relations.