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Al Qaeda Urges Copycat Attacks on US, Israeli Planes After Flydubai Incident
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Firstpost•04-10-2026, 14:11
Al Qaeda Urges Copycat Attacks on US, Israeli Planes After Flydubai Incident
- •Al Qaeda praised the attempted takeover of a Flydubai flight and called for similar attacks on US and Israeli aircraft, invoking the 9/11 attacks in its propaganda publication al-Bayan.
- •The publication featured images of the 9/11 attacks and the Flydubai incident, urging supporters to target planes carrying Americans, Israelis, and other perceived enemies of Islam.
- •Questions arose over social media activity linked to the alleged attacker, Hamam al-Hammami, with posts appearing on his LinkedIn and Instagram accounts hours after his arrest, later deleted.
- •Indian Captain Smit Machchhar recounted how he was attacked by his co-pilot, who attempted to take control of the aircraft, and how he fought to regain control despite severe injuries.
- •A Wall Street Journal report indicated the co-pilot had previously been banned from flying in Oman due to alleged radical views before being hired by Flydubai and assigned to the sensitive UAE-Israel route.
Key Questions Answered
Al Qaeda praised the attempted takeover of Flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv and urged supporters to launch copycat attacks targeting US and Israeli aircraft, invoking the September 11, 2001, attacks in a propaganda publication.
Despite suffering injuries and blurred vision while being attacked by his co-pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar fought back and managed to open the cockpit door, allowing people outside to enter and take control of the situation.
Reports indicated that the co-pilot had previously been banned from flying in Oman due to concerns regarding his alleged radical views before being hired by Flydubai and operating the UAE-Israel route.
