Reports say that the Israeli military was prepared to shoot down the Flydubai aircraft in midair if signs were detected that it was being used to carry out a suicide attack.
Hamam al-Hammami of Oman, the co-pilot who stabbed Indian pilot Smith Machar with a knife on the Flydubai flight that departed from Dubai last Wednesday for Israel’s Tel Aviv, has been arrested on charges of attempting to bring down the aircraft. Despite being seriously injured, Indian pilot Smith Machar fought back and, with the help of passengers and crew, thwarted the attempt.
As this incident has caused a major alarm around the world, shocking details related to it are being revealed one by one.
Israel prepared to shoot down the Flydubai plane
A CBS News report, citing Israeli officials, said the following:
“As the Flydubai plane plunged about 14,000 feet in a matter of seconds, the Israeli Air Force was unable to contact the pilots. Israeli officials considered this a possible hijacking.
Fears arose among officials that a 9/11-style attack might be carried out. Israel’s airspace was immediately closed, and fighter jets were dispatched. Orders were given to intercept the Flydubai aircraft and shoot it down if it attempted a suicide attack.
However, since the aircraft turned toward Saudi Arabia when it was still 400 miles away from Israel, the fighter jets were recalled,” it has been reported.
Statement of Hamam al-Hammami
The statement of Hamam al-Hammami, who attempted to hijack the plane, has shocked everyone.
In a statement given to investigators in the United Arab Emirates, it is said that the plane’s captain had killed Smith Macher and, without arousing any suspicion, contacted air traffic control to obtain permission for the plane to land, then planned to crash the aircraft into a building at the airport or into another plane, in the manner of the 9/11 attacks.
He also reportedly said that although he had intended to carry out the plan in July itself, he postponed it after becoming friends with a pilot.
It is also said that he had visited Israel many times, that he joined as a pilot only to carry out the conspiracy, and that he had been barred from working as a pilot in his own country; his social media posts reportedly revealed that he held extremist views.
