Investigation Continues into FlyDubai Co-Pilot's Alleged Attack on Captain

One day after a FlyDubai co-pilot allegedly attempted to crash a passenger aircraft, questions about his identity and motive continued to arise. The flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was approaching Israel when the co-pilot reportedly stabbed the flight captain and attempted to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The captain managed to fend off the co-pilot long enough to unlock the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overpower him. Two off-duty pilots on the flight helped regain control of the aircraft, which made an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. There were 174 people aboard the plane, and no passengers sustained serious injuries. The pilot suffered stab wounds, while two crew members were hospitalized with unspecified injuries. The co-pilot remained in custody as of Thursday. The identity of the co-pilot has not been publicly disclosed. An Omani official confirmed to CBS News that the attacker was born in Oman and holds Omani citizenship, though the Omani government has not officially confirmed this. The motive behind the alleged attack remains unclear. Netanyahu speculated to CBS News that the incident appeared to be a suicide attempt, citing witnesses who said the co-pilot tried to jam the plane's equipment. After being subdued, the co-pilot reportedly shouted for someone to kill him. Netanyahu also indicated that personal information gathered during questioning led to the conclusion that the co-pilot underwent Islamist radical indoctrination, though he did not provide further details. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the incident as an attempted jihadist terror attack and labeled the co-pilot a terrorist. President Trump suggested that the co-pilot might be linked to Iran, stating, "We're working on it right now." However, Netanyahu cautioned that it was too early to determine Iran's involvement. An Israeli security official stated that authorities were investigating the possibility of the incident being an attempted terror attack similar to September 11 and were also looking into whether the attacker acted alone. Netanyahu has warned of escalating security threats to Israel amid ongoing operations against Iran-allied Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The co-pilot was arrested immediately following the incident and was being questioned by Saudi authorities. Netanyahu mentioned that Israeli authorities would join the interrogation but did not specify when this would occur. A senior Israeli official reported that UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan informed Netanyahu that the co-pilot would be transferred to the UAE for further questioning. Saudi Arabia confirmed that the co-pilot had been transferred to the UAE.