UAE Confirms Co-Pilot Planned Terror Attack, Aimed to Crash Plane in Israel
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- UAE prosecutor confirms co-pilot attempted terror attack on Fly Dubai flight.
- Co-pilot attacked captain with axe, intended to crash plane in Israel.
- Suspect, Mamam Al-Hamami, had extremist materials and radical ideology.
- Pre-scheduled social media posts alluded to Israeli flights and Al-Qaeda.
- Investigation continues into motives and potential state or organizational links.
The Public Prosecutor of the United Arab Emirates officially confirmed on Saturday that the co-pilot of a Fly Dubai flight planned and attempted to carry out a terror attack during the flight. According to the prosecutor, the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency axe in the cockpit and tried to seize control of the aircraft. The investigation is ongoing to determine all circumstances, motives, and potential connections to the incident, as well as to complete technical examinations and analyze physical and digital evidence.
Sources familiar with the matter told ABC News that the co-pilot is cooperating with the investigation and stated his intention was to crash the plane in Israel. Reports suggest his name is Mamam Al-Hamami. These sources also revealed that in 2024, while training as a co-pilot for Oman Air, Al-Hamami was found to possess "extremist materials." He was reportedly allowed to continue working for the airline in a managerial role.
CNN reported that the co-pilot had pre-scheduled social media posts for the day of the incident, which included monitoring Israeli flights and alluding to ties with Al-Qaeda. Two posts appeared on his LinkedIn profile about nine hours after the incident, featuring videos of Boeing 737 Max cockpits, including one zooming in on an El Al flight at Dubai International Airport. The video also showed Arkia Airlines planes and ended with images of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Malal al-Balawi, a terrorist who pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda and carried out a suicide bombing in 2009. A second post contained an AI-generated image connecting Islam's three holiest sites, accompanied by a militant song.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the co-pilot had been suspended from flying in Oman due to concerns he had "adopted a radical ideology," though it remains unclear if Oman informed other countries. UAE officials described the co-pilot as introverted, unsociable, and devoutly religious, and stated it is too early to determine if the attack was planned by an organization or state. The UAE prosecutor has ordered the formation of a team to investigate the incident, and a senior Emirati official met with the Sultan of Oman.
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