Stories
Flydubai Co-Pilot's Al Qaeda Links Emerge After Cockpit Attack
- •Images of Al Qaeda figures Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi appeared on the social media of Flydubai co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami, who is accused of attacking his captain.
- •Al-Hammami was previously removed from flight training in Oman due to concerns over extremist views but was later hired by Flydubai.
- •A video associated with al-Hammami showed cockpit footage and Israeli airline aircraft, ending with photos of the Al Qaeda leaders.
- •The incident occurred on a Dubai to Tel Aviv flight, where the aircraft plunged before the captain, Smit Machchhar, was attacked and passengers intervened.
- •Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested the co-pilot underwent "Islamist radicalisation" and is investigating if he was sent by others.
Key Questions Answered
According to CNN, a video associated with Omani co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami ended with photographs of Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and 2009 suicide bomber Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi. Another post featured an AI-generated image of Islam's three holiest sites accompanied by a poem about defending dignity.
The co-pilot had previously been removed from flight training and barred from flying by Oman due to concerns regarding extremist or radical views.
During a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv carrying 182 people, the co-pilot attacked Captain Smit Machchhar, causing the aircraft to experience sharp altitude changes before landing safely in Tabuk. Passengers restrained the co-pilot while the seriously injured captain was treated by a dentist on board.
