Pro-al-Qaida publication urges attacks on planes after FlyDubai cockpit assault

A publication linked to pro-al-Qaida supporters has called for copycat attacks on aircraft carrying Americans, Israelis and others it describes as opposing Islam, following an attempted takeover of a FlyDubai flight. The warning appeared in the latest edition of al-Bayan, a weekly publication launched in July. It referred to the September 11, 2001 attacks and the September 30 assault aboard FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

The article was circulated through Telegram channels and was later apparently removed. It included images referring to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the FlyDubai incident. The publication also issued threats against the United States and Israel.

Investigators are examining the background of Hamam al-Hammami, the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking Captain Smit Machchhar with a crash axe and attempting to take control of the aircraft. Passengers and crew intervened after the captain opened the cockpit door from inside despite being injured. The aircraft later landed safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The United Arab Emirates has officially described the incident as a terrorist attack. Attorney-General Hamad Saif Al Shamsi said investigators were continuing to establish the circumstances, motive and possible links. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the attacker underwent Islamist radicalisation and intended to crash the aircraft.

Israeli officials have also said he had been exposed to extremist ideology. The source material says al-Hammami’s social-media accounts contained references to al-Qaida figures, including Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. It remains unclear who posted some of the material found on accounts bearing his name or whether the posts had been scheduled.

Anti-terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann said the material may point towards al-Qaida rather than the Islamic State, but the claims remain part of an ongoing investigation.