The September 30 cockpit assault has now entered extremist propaganda as UAE investigators examine co-pilot Hamam al-Hammami’s background, digital activity and possible links. A pro-Al-Qaeda publication has urged copycat attacks on aircraft carrying Americans and Israelis days after the attempted takeover of flydubai Flight FZ1073. Authorities have not established an organisational connection to al-Qaida in the case at this stage.
UAE says flydubai incident was an attempted terrorist act
The article invoked the September 11, 2001, attacks in the United States, commonly known as 9/11, as well as the September 30 incident aboard flydubai Flight FZ1073, which was flying from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
Flydubai said the aircraft was brought back under control with help from crew members travelling on board. The airline has said it is working with the authorities investigating the incident. The message appeared in the latest edition of al-Bayan, a weekly Arabic-language publication produced by supporters of al-Qaida. It called for attacks on aircraft carrying Americans, Israelis and people it described as fighting Islam. Flight FZ1073 diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia and landed safely. Al-Hammami was later transferred to UAE custody.
Deleted accounts add another line to the terror investigation
Social-media accounts linked to al-Hammami contained posts featuring former al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, an al-Qaida supporter who carried out a 2009 suicide bombing at a CIA base in Afghanistan. The separate appearance of pro-al-Qaida propaganda shows how quickly the September 30 attack has been adopted by extremist media even as investigators work to establish whether al-Hammami acted alone or had outside links. Some posts appeared after the flydubai incident. It was unclear who published them or whether they had been scheduled in advance. The UAE investigation has since moved beyond the initial description of a cockpit altercation. Prosecutors now call it an attempted terrorist act involving prior planning.
