Hero Pilot Recounts Harrowing Mid-Air Attack

Captain Smit Machchar, the pilot of a flight that experienced a near-crash, has been hospitalized in the United Arab Emirates. Appearing via video call from the hospital on Thursday, Machchar spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the terrifying incident. Machchar underwent emergency surgery in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, after being stabbed by his co-pilot, who was from Oman. The captain recounted the moments of terror, stating, "I had so many injuries, but I told myself I had to get up and act." He described pushing himself to open the cockpit door. Prime Minister Modi praised Machchar's courage, conveyed the nation's prayers for his recovery, and emphasized national pride in his actions to save lives. The government of Gujarat, India, announced it would award him a medal for his bravery. Meanwhile, Israel hopes to leverage its close ties with Abu Dhabi to include an observer team in the investigation into the incident, after Saudi Arabia rejected a similar request. Despite claims by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli officials have not yet identified any link between the attacker and Iran. A senior Israeli official assessed that the co-pilot acted alone due to nationalist and religious motives, ruling out a suicide attempt. This assessment follows remarks by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Fox News that the Omani co-pilot had undergone "extreme Islamist brainwashing." Israel is now focusing on examining the attacker's social media activity.