An incident occurred on Fly Dubai flight FL1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Wednesday, which Israeli officials are assessing as a possible terrorist attack. According to received information, the second pilot likely attacked the captain with a knife, causing the plane to divert towards Saudi Arabia and land safely there.
Details of the Incident and Reactions
Israeli officials announced that the cabin crew entered the cockpit and took control of the flight. The flight was diverted towards Saudi Arabia while flying over Jordanian airspace. One Israeli official identified the attacker as an Omani citizen.
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An Israeli official had previously informed the media that this flight had sent emergency signals, which were triggered by a physical altercation between the two pilots. Aircraft data indicates that the flight suddenly and rapidly descended to an altitude of nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.
Status of the Pilots and Security Concerns
At the time the plane landed in Saudi Arabia, Doron Spielman, spokesperson for the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, stated that this incident was likely not a hostage situation and described it as "a different incident." However, he did not provide a clear answer on whether Israel is treating this as a terrorist incident.
Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that Israel's current assessment is that this incident was a terrorist attack and is not related to any psychological issues concerning one of the pilots. Both pilots were transferred to the hospital due to their injuries.
Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia has announced that both pilots have been hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the incident. Reports indicate that an Israeli passenger on this flight claimed that one of the pilots was severely injured while the other had minor injuries.
This incident has raised security concerns in Israel, and with elections approaching in the country, security officials are reviewing the situation. Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has canceled his daily schedule due to crisis management and is consulting with security officials.
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