UAE Prosecutor General: Flydubai Axe Attack Was Pre-Planned Terrorism

The United Arab Emirates' Prosecutor General has officially declared the axe attack aboard a flydubai flight an attempted terrorist attack, following a preliminary investigation.

In a statement carried by the state news agency, the prosecutor's office said that initial findings indicate the co-pilot had pre-planned the terrorist act. A comprehensive investigation is now underway to determine the full circumstances, motives, and any potential connections the suspect may have had.

New reports, citing Israeli sources, allege the co-pilot accused in the Flydubai attack, Hammam al-Hammami, was previously expelled from flight training in Oman due to extremist tendencies.

It is further claimed that he then travelled to Syria, where he joined and trained with an extremist organization before securing a job at Flydubai. According to these reports, the attack was a planned suicide mission.

It was also reported that upon being subdued, the co-pilot repeatedly said, "Kill me." Saudi authorities are said to have recorded his initial statement before handing him over to the UAE.