▲ A Flydubai passenger plane
The attempt to crash a Flydubai passenger plane bound for Israel on September 30 is assessed as likely being a lone-wolf act committed by the co-pilot, a former Israeli security official told U.S. broadcaster NBC News.
Shalom Ben Hanan, a former official of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet, told NBC that the co-pilot who carried out the act "appears to have committed a lone-wolf style terrorist incident inspired by content he encountered online."
At the same time, he added, "We must wait for the final investigation results to confirm whether any organization or country was behind it."
Multiple U.S. officials briefed on the investigation also noted that the probe remains in its early stages.
UAE authorities, who are leading the investigation, defined the incident as an attempted terrorist attack during a briefing on October 3 local time, stating that the co-pilot attempted to take control of the flight controls by attacking the captain with an emergency axe.
In connection with this, U.S. broadcaster ABC News reported that the co-pilot confessed to having the intention of intentionally crashing the aircraft.
The co-pilot has been identified as 29-year-old Omani national Hamam Al-Hammami.
UAE investigative authorities are probing the specific circumstances, motives, and potential accomplices of the incident.
Israel and the U.S. have not ruled out the possibility that a hostile nation such as Iran was involved behind the co-pilot.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on October 2 that Israeli investigative authorities are probing whether the co-pilot was incited by anyone.
U.S. President Donald Trump also raised the possibility of Iranian involvement on October 1, threatening that if Iran was behind the attack, the U.S. would launch new strikes against Iran.
However, a senior U.S. official briefed on the Israeli investigation previously told NBC News that there are no signs indicating Iran ordered or was involved in the attack.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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