Netanyahu says Israel will get to the 'root' of co-pilot in foiled bid to crash flydubai flight

A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia after a co-pilot stabbed the captain and attempted to crash the plane. The aircraft, carrying 174 people, mostly Israeli nationals, plunged nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the struggle. Passengers and crew members managed to enter the cockpit, overpower the co-pilot, and allow two additional flydubai pilots who were traveling as passengers to take control of the aircraft.

The co-pilot, identified as an Omani national, was arrested and is being interrogated in Saudi Arabia. The captain, an Indian national named Smit Machchhar, was stabbed and found covered in blood after being attacked. He, along with the co-pilot, was hospitalized in Saudi Arabia. Three passengers were treated for minor injuries, with one 51-year-old man remaining in mild condition.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will investigate the incident and get to the root of the attack, possibly participating in the probe. According to Haaretz, the Israeli defense establishment has been preparing for plane hijackings since 9/11, and the incident was a close call for one of the worst terror attacks in Israel's history.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Haaretz, The Vibes, Khaosod English, ProPakistani — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.