The co-pilot has been identified by people familiar with the investigation as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami.
The first post reportedly showed a series of clips in the cockpits of a Boeing 737 Max aircraft, with the person filming zooming in on a plane that belongs to the Israeli airline El Al. The video ends with a photo of Ayam al-Zawahiri, a terrorist who led al-Qaeda after the death of Osama Bin Laden, and a photo of Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi – who killed nine people in a 2009 suicide bombing in the US. Earlier reporting noted: Another post showed an AI-generated image showing Islam’s three holiest sites in Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem, with a poem in the background speaking of rejecting humiliation, not fearing death, and defending one’s dignity, reported CNN.
UAE Prosecutor General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said the co-pilot attacked the captain with the crash axe inside the cockpit and attempted to seize control of the aircraft during Wednesday’s flight. The incident was described by the UAE as an attempted terrorist attack.
Earlier reporting noted: Investigations are ongoing to determine the circumstances of the incident, the motives and any related connections, and to examine physical and digital evidence, the UAE prosecutor general added. Earlier reporting noted: The profile had reportedly made two posts in about nine hours after the flydubai incident – both terror-related.
The flight, carrying 182 people, went into a sharp descent during the incident, with the captain later saying he used his remaining strength while being attacked to unlock the cockpit door.
UAE diplomatic adviser Anwar Gargash has called the incident a “dangerous terrorist act”, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the co-pilot had undergone “Islamist radicalization”, without providing evidence. Passengers and others who heard unusual sounds entered the cockpit, restrained the co-pilot and helped stabilise the aircraft. The plane eventually made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia. Both the captain and co-pilot were later taken to the UAE, which is leading the investigation, with several countries, including Israel, participating. Security agencies from four regional countries are investigating his motives, with assistance from the US and other Western governments.