UAE Declares Flydubai Incident an Attempted Terror Attack
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- UAE officially labels Flydubai flight incident an attempted terror attack.
- Co-pilot Hammam Al-Hamami allegedly attacked captain with an emergency axe.
- Perpetrator had prior concerns over extremist views, barred from flying in Oman.
- Questions arise about Israeli security agencies' prior knowledge of the pilot.
- Emergency axe was standard cockpit equipment, not smuggled weapon.
The United Arab Emirates has officially declared the recent Flydubai flight incident to Israel as an attempted terrorist attack, a conclusion previously understood in Israel. The UAE's Attorney General announced that an investigation revealed the co-pilot attempted a "terrorist act," assaulting the captain in the cockpit with an emergency axe and attempting to seize control of the aircraft. This marks the first time UAE authorities have formally classified the event as an attempted attack.
The use of an emergency axe, a tool found within the cockpit for critical situations like fires, explains how the co-pilot could attack the captain without needing to smuggle a weapon through security. Significant details about the perpetrator have also emerged. According to sources speaking with Reuters and AP, the co-pilot is identified as 30-year-old Omani citizen Hammam Al-Hamami, who was born in the UAE to a Syrian mother and spent part of his youth there.
Further concerning details from his professional past have surfaced. Reports in The Wall Street Journal, cited by AP and other outlets, indicate he was previously barred from flying in Oman due to concerns over extremist views. He later moved to an administrative role at Oman Air before being hired by Flydubai.
As time passes, questions are intensifying regarding a potential Israeli security lapse. Various reports suggest the perpetrator had flown to Israel previously, and his identity and details were known to Israel's Shin Bet security agency and the Ministry of Transportation.
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