Flydubai attack: Amid questions being raised about the actual sequence of events that occurred aboard the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai flight FZ1073, with many even claiming it as an Israeli “false flag” operation, a senior Emirati official has described the Flydubai attack as a “dangerous terrorist act” and also shut down what he called “conspiracy theories” about Wednesday’s incident.
What did UAE say about Flydubai attack?
In a post on X, Anwar Gargash, an adviser to UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, hailed the bravery of Captain Smit Machchhar, saying the Indian pilot “deserves every bit of appreciation, for he embodied the meaning of courage and responsibility in the face of a dangerous terrorist act and a potential disaster”.
Gargash commended Captain Machchhar’s professional and presence of mind, which prevented his Omani co-pilot from taking over the aircraft after he attacked the Indian pilot with a crash axe inside the cockpit.
“His professionalism and moral sense in the darkest of circumstances make him a true hero,” the Emirati official wrote.
The adviser also rejected “conspiracy theories” surrounding the Flydubai attack, and urged vigilance and caution to confront the dangers posed by extremism and terrorism.
“Far from oversimplifying what happened or adopting and promoting conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution remain necessary to face the risks of extremism and terrorism,” he noted.
Why ‘false flag’ conspiracy surrounds Flydubai incident?
Gargash’s remarks come amid questions surrounding the circumstances of the Flydubai attack being raised from several quarters, with many alleging that it was a false flag operation carried out by Israeli spy agency Mossad to influence the upcoming general elections in favour of sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and to implicate Iran to press the United States for launching decisive strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Geopolitical experts have also questioned how an Omani national was cleared to fly the route as Israel does not allow pilots from countries who its does not have formal diplomatic relations with, to operate flights in or out of the Jewish state.
However, Israeli authorities have maintained that incident was an attempted terrorist attack, and the Omani pilot was an “Islamic radical” who planned to crash the aircraft inside Israel in a 9/11 style attack.
What did Israel say?
According to Israel’s i24 News, citing Emirati sources, investigators have found leaflets and publications from “Free Palestine” groups and pro-Palestinian material among the Omani co-pilot’s belongings, and that he had repeatedly expressed support for the Palestinians and hostility towards Israel.
The idenтιтy of the flight’s co-pilot has not yet been publicly disclosed, though an Omani official verified to CBS News that the ᴀssailant was born in Oman and possesses Omani citizenship, even though Muscat has not formally acknowledged his citizenship publicly.
Netanyahu claims Omani pilot planned Israel’s 9/11
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the co-pilot who attacked Captain Smit Machchhar aboard the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight, was “clearly suicidal” and had undergone “radical Islamist indoctrination”.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said the attacker, who was the First Officer on the Israel-bound flydubai flight FZ1073, is being interrogated, and that initial investigation has revealed he was suicidal and planned to crash the plane.
“The attacker, the co-pilot who attacked the captain, is now being interrogated. What we know so far is that he underwent Islamist radical indoctrination. They had to use earphone cords to tie his hands and then used plastic cuffs. He is lying on the floor and he calls out to the crew ‘kill me, kill me’. So, it is clear that he was suicidal and was going to down the plane,” he claimed.
How India’s Captain Smit Machchhar thwarted Flydubai attack?
Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar was operating the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight FZ1073 on Wednesday when he was reportedly attacked mid-flight with a crash axe by his co-pilot, an Omani national, who allegedly stabbed him, and tried to hijack the aircraft, and planned to purportedly to crash it inside Israel.
Despite his injuries, Captain Smit managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing pᴀssengers and crew to subdue his rampaging co-pilot, and helping foil what Israel has claimed could have been a 9/11 style attack on the Jewish state.
Captain Machchhar was rushed to a hospital in Tabuk, and was later airlifted to Abu Dhabi for advanced medical care after suffering stab wounds during the violent mid-air cockpit attack.