The Yemen-based branch of Al-Qaeda, known as AQAP, has issued a public call for further attacks against American and Israeli aviation. In an editorial published in its weekly magazine, 'Al-Bayan,' the group praised the actions of an Omani co-pilot who attempted to hijack a flydubai flight last month.
The editorial, titled 'Between September 11 and September 30,' featured imagery of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks alongside the flydubai flight FZ 1073, which was en route to Tel Aviv when the incident occurred. The text asserted that the conflict remains active, stating, "The war is far from over; aircraft carrying Zionists, Americans, and forces from the various camps of disbelief warring against Islam still roam the skies. They remain vulnerable to attack-as demonstrated on September 11 and September 30."
According to the publication, the group believed that a successful hijacking would have altered the regional balance of power. Furthermore, the article suggested that individuals who do not share the group's religious ideology could still be utilized to strike at the United States and Israel. "The enemies of America and the Zionists are far more numerous today than in the past. An attack might well be launched by someone who believes in neither God nor the Hereafter, yet whose actions would ultimately serve the interests of Islam," the text claimed.
The incident involving flight FZ1073 occurred as the Boeing 737 was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. During the flight, the Omani co-pilot, identified as Hamam al-Hammami, attacked the Indian captain, Smit Machchhar, with a crash axe. Captain Machchhar reported that he managed to open the cockpit door to alert the crew after the assault began.
As the aircraft plummeted nearly 14,000 feet in under 30 seconds, passengers intervened to overpower the co-pilot. A secondary flight crew present on the plane subsequently took control and performed an emergency landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.
