Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Thursday that the man who stabbed his fellow pilot aboard a Flydubai plane and allegedly tried to take control of the aircraft had undergone a process of „radical Islamist indoctrination.”
According to Netanyahu, there are indications that the attacker intended to crash the plane, as reported by BBC.
The incident occurred on Wednesday aboard flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv with over 170 people on board. The aircraft suddenly lost thousands of meters in altitude while flying over Saudi Arabia after one of the pilots attacked the other.
Passengers and crew members intervened, immobilized the attacker, and the plane was redirected and safely landed in Tabuk, in northwestern Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu told Fox News that it is "very likely" that the attacker, identified by Israeli authorities as an Omani citizen, intended to crash the aircraft.
"We know that he underwent radical Islamist indoctrination. This seems to emerge from his personal information," the Israeli Prime Minister stated.
Netanyahu also mentioned that the man had suicidal intentions. After being immobilized and restrained by passengers and crew members, he reportedly shouted, "Kill me, kill me."
The Israeli Prime Minister emphasized, however, that the investigation has not yet reached definitive conclusions. "I'm not drawing final conclusions yet. These are the indications we have at this time," Netanyahu said.
The plane rapidly lost thousands of meters in altitude
According to Flightradar24 data, the aircraft lost over 4,000 meters in altitude in less than 30 seconds during the incident. After the attacker was immobilized, a reserve crew on board managed to stabilize the aircraft and land it in Tabuk.
The stabbed pilot, Indian captain Smit Machchhar, was praised by Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his intervention. According to information provided by Indian authorities, he is in good condition and recovering.
The passengers who intervened to immobilize the attacker were also considered heroes by Israeli authorities.
Investigations in Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates
The attacker was arrested in Saudi Arabia and is being questioned by local authorities. Israel announced that its intelligence services are also investigating the incident. According to an initial Israeli assessment, the attacker acted alone, but the investigation is ongoing.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has launched an investigation to determine the circumstances and motives of the attack and to verify if it was related to any terrorist activity or intention, or if it was planned or coordinated beforehand.
When asked about indications of potential Iranian involvement, Netanyahu replied that it is "too early" to draw such a conclusion. To date, there is no official confirmation of Tehran's involvement.
Following the incident, Flydubai has suspended flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv while conducting its own investigation. Israeli airlines El Al, Israir, and Arkia have announced that they will operate flights for the remaining passengers in Dubai.