A senior UAE official said Sunday that the investigation into the Flydubai co-pilot indicates the incident was a planned terror attack. The official stated the co-pilot wanted to take over the plane and crash it in Israel, saying the situation 'looks very bad for him.' If convicted, he faces the death penalty. 'We don't play around with such things here,' the official added, according to reports reviewed by The Zioneer.
On Sunday, a senior UAE official elaborated on the investigation into the September 30 Flydubai incident, confirming that authorities have concluded the co-pilot's actions constituted a planned terror attack targeting Israel. The official stated that investigators believe the co-pilot intended to take control of the aircraft and crash it in Israel, saying the situation "looks very bad for him." The official reiterated that conviction would carry the death penalty, adding, "We don't play around with such things here."
The Zioneer reported on Saturday (Oct 3) that the co-pilot was identified as Hammam al-Hammami, a 29-year-old Omani national. Later that evening, additional details emerged: al-Hammami had previously posted a video praising an al-Qaeda suicide bomber and reportedly confessed in interrogation to planning to crash the aircraft into a strategic target in Israel. The UAE officially confirmed the incident as a terror attack, and two Israeli passengers recounted that crew asked them to release the attacker after he was handcuffed, a request they refused.
Earlier on Sunday, The Zioneer reported the same UAE official stating that the co-pilot is expected to face the death penalty. Israeli investigators have arrived in the UAE to participate in the probe, and background reports reviewed by The Zioneer indicated that Flydubai may have hired al-Hammami without a thorough background check despite extremist red flags. The investigation is a multi-national effort involving the UAE, Israel, and the United States.
No formal charges have been filed, and a timeline for the completion of the investigation or judicial proceedings has not been announced.
7 developments
- StrongNew footage from Flydubai flight reveals moments of horror
- DevelopingIsrael Hayom reports new details linking Flydubai hijacking suspect to Iran
- StrongFlydubai passengers tell New York Post: crew asked us to release terrorist co-pilot
- StrongDoctor: 'Within seconds we knew it was a terror attack' – treating stabbed Flydubai pilot
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