Al-Qaeda Praises Flydubai Attack Attempt (Al-Qaeda )

New York: Al-Qaeda   (Al-Qaeda ) has praised the alleged attempted hijacking of a Flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, drawing parallels to the September 11, 2001 attacks. The group has called for similar attacks targeting American and Israeli airliners. According to reports, this appeal appeared in the latest issue of ‘Al-Bayan’, a weekly publication launched by Al-Qaeda supporters in July. It was reportedly shared on the group’s Telegram channels before being taken down.

The article referenced both the 9/11 attacks and the attempted takeover of Flydubai flight FZ1073 on September 30. That flight, carrying over 170 passengers and crew members—most of whom were Israeli—was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv. According to a *New York Post* report, the Arabic-language article incited attacks on planes carrying Americans and Israelis.

‘The End of Wicked America’
The Arabic article stated, “The war is not over yet—planes carrying Zionists, Americans, and all other infidels fighting against Islam are still hovering in the skies and can be targeted, just as happened on September 11 and 30.” It further added, “America and the Zionists have more enemies today than ever before. It is possible that someone who does not believe in God might target them, and this campaign of theirs could ultimately benefit Islam.” It further stated, “The day will come when the empire of evil America will end.”

Comparison to the 9/11 attacks
According to reports, the publication featured an image of a plane striking the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks, alongside another image related to the attempted hijacking of the Flydubai flight. The *New York Post* reported that this content was circulated on Al-Qaeda-linked Telegram channels before being removed on Saturday.

What happened to the Flydubai flight?
Flydubai flight FZ1073 was en route from Dubai to Tel Aviv when Al-Hammami allegedly attacked Captain Smit Machhar with an axe kept in the cockpit for emergency use. There were 174 people on board. During the incident, the aircraft transmitted an emergency signal and began a rapid descent, dropping from an altitude of approximately 34,000 feet to below 17,000 feet.

Lying injured on the cockpit floor, Machhar realized the plane was losing altitude. He also discovered that the co-pilot was preventing him from opening the cockpit door. When Machhar finally managed to open the door, passengers subdued the alleged attacker. Subsequently, two reserve pilots on board entered the cockpit and took control of the aircraft. The plane was eventually landed safely at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where Al-Hammami was taken into custody.