Flydubai attacker began a 'drift towards extremism and terrorism' in Australia, UAE says
UAE officials report that a co-pilot who attempted to hijack a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv had been radicalized while studying in Australia. The pilot allegedly stabbed the captain before being subdued by passengers, with investigators citing extremist literature as a primary influence.
Why it matters
This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding the radicalization of individuals through online extremist content and the security vulnerabilities in international aviation.
Image source, Social Media Image caption, The Flydubai flight was diverted to Saudi Arabia after passengers managed to take back the aircraft's controls
The Omani co-pilot who allegedly attempted to hijack a Flydubai plane started a "drift towards extremism and terrorism" while studying in Australia, United Arab Emirates officials say.
UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi also alleged the pilot - widely named as Hamam al-Hammami - was last week trying to crash the plane into Tel Aviv's airport in a "suicide attack".
He wounded the captain in the cockpit with the emergency crash axe before being overpowered by passengers. Another crew on the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight was able to land the aircraft in Saudi Arabia.
Melbourne university RMIT earlier confirmed the pilot had studied there but left before completing his engineering qualification.
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