An Israeli source told i24NEWS this evening that the working assumption has not changed: the co-pilot acted as a 'lone wolf' and not on behalf of another entity. The source said the investigation is still ongoing.
An Israeli security source informed i24NEWS on Thursday evening that the working assumption regarding the Omani co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight has not changed: he acted as a 'lone wolf' and not on behalf of any external entity. 'The investigation is still ongoing,' the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Earlier Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News that the co-pilot underwent a process of extreme Islamist radicalization. Netanyahu acknowledged a security 'breach' that allowed the pilot to travel to Israel and attempt to crash the aircraft. The prime minister said investigators would determine within days whether the pilot had ties to Iran. An Israeli official later told the Times of Israel that the co-pilot had discussed killing Jews on social media and was prepared to commit suicide. India's pilot who was attacked in the cockpit was flown from Saudi Arabia to Dubai for further medical treatment, Netanyahu added.
As The Zioneer reported earlier on Thursday, Israel will participate in the investigation into the co-pilot, who remains in Saudi custody. The incident marks an extraordinary security breach that disrupted flights and raised concerns over aviation vetting procedures.
The question of whether the co-pilot had any direct links to Iran remains unresolved. The investigation is ongoing, and the source emphasized that no final conclusions have been reached regarding the attacker's possible network.
6 developments
- StrongIsraeli assessment now sees Flydubai pilot as lone actor, i24 reports
- StrongIsrael Airports Authority: 'no change' in guidelines, all airports operating as normal
- DevelopingIAA: Ben Gurion operating normally, no change to flight schedule
- DevelopingKahana publishes photo of UNIFIL soldier trying to intercept Israeli drone in southern Lebanon
Source and signal
- Open-source intake