Omani Co-Pilot Planned 9/11-Style Attack on Israel, Report Says
Translated & summarized from i24NEWS Arabic by baba
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Omani co-pilot planned 9/11-style attack on Israel, targeting Ben Gurion Airport.
- Crew and passengers thwarted the attack, with Israel ready to down the plane.
- Suspect had previously been flagged as a security risk but was hired by Flydubai.
- Investigators from Israel and the US are probing the incident and potential Iranian links.
- The co-pilot faces the death penalty in the UAE.
The Omani co-pilot of a Flydubai flight bound for Israel, identified as Hemami Al-Hemami, allegedly planned to crash the plane into Ben Gurion Airport or the Azrieli Center towers in Tel Aviv in a 9/11-style attack. Al-Hemami confessed during interrogation that he had long been planning the operation, gathering intelligence in Israel, and specifically chose Flydubai because it flew to Tel Aviv. He is currently detained in the UAE, where he faces the death penalty.
Questions have been raised about security vetting failures, as Al-Hemami was reportedly flagged as a security threat in 2024 by Oman Air after possessing extremist materials and violent social media posts. Despite this, he was hired by Flydubai just eight months ago. Investigators from Mossad, Israeli aviation experts, and U.S. intelligence agents have joined the investigation in Abu Dhabi.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance stated that while Iranian involvement is being investigated, no conclusive evidence has yet been found. "Regarding Iran's involvement, that's something I'll leave to John Ratcliffe and some intelligence folks to deal with. I don't want to get ahead of any announcements on that, but certainly, it's something we are looking into," Vance said, adding, "However, I can't say that I've seen anything conclusive yet."
Meanwhile, Israel's security system was prepared for the most extreme scenario. According to CBS, Israel was ready to shoot down the passenger plane, even with over 150 Israeli citizens on board, if it had continued its path towards Israeli airspace. An emergency committee was convened, and fighter jets were ordered to scramble as the plane lost contact and descended sharply.
The attack was thwarted by the bravery of the captain, the crew, and several Israeli passengers. Al-Hemami reportedly attacked the captain with an emergency axe, but the injured captain managed to open the cockpit door. Passengers and crew members then subdued and restrained the suspect. Two off-duty pilots on board regained control of the aircraft, stabilized the flight, and made an emergency landing in Taif, Saudi Arabia, where Al-Hemami was handed over to UAE authorities.
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