Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Amid a widening investigation into the flydubai cockpit attack, Australian authorities are probing the Omani co-pilot’s past and links to the country. The investigation comes days after he attacked the Indian pilot, Captain Smit Machchhar, with an emergency crash axe and then attempted to hijack the flight.
The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), is investigating Omani co-pilot Hamam Al-Hamami’s links to Australia, an Australian Federal Police spokesperson said on Sunday.
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CO-PILOT’S AUSTRALIA CONNECTION UNDER PROBE
According to news agency Reuters, two sources briefed on the investigation said that the co-pilot studied at a university in Melbourne, the capital of Victoria. A third source said he attended RMIT University about a decade ago.
Australian authorities have not disclosed what specific links they are examining or whether the man’s time in Australia was connected to the events aboard the aircraft. The Financial Times reported on Sunday, citing two people familiar with the investigation, that the man had visited radical mosques and extremist websites while he was in Australia.
The newspaper also reported that Australian intelligence services had held a file on the individual.
The claims are now part of a wider investigation spanning several countries as authorities try to establish the co-pilot’s background, movements and possible motives.
The incident unfolded on flight FZ1073, which was carrying more than 170 passengers and crew from Dubai to Israel. According to the UAE prosecutor general, the co-pilot attacked the captain with an emergency crash axe before attempting to take control of the aircraft.
The UAE prosecutor general described the incident as a “terrorist attack”. Israeli officials have said the co-pilot attempted to crash the aircraft. The situation was brought under control only after passengers and members of the crew intervened and subdued him.
A reserve flydubai pilot who was travelling on the aircraft then took control and managed to land the plane safely at Tabuk airport in north-western Saudi Arabia. The co-pilot was detained in Saudi Arabia before being transferred to the UAE on Thursday.
The flight’s passengers, most of whom were Israeli nationals, escaped what could have become a major aviation disaster.
PLANE PLUNGED 16,000 FEET
The scale of the emergency became clearer after an aviation instructor recreated the aircraft’s descent in a flight simulator for Reuters. According to the simulation, the plane plunged roughly 16,000 feet in about 30 seconds before the descent was brought under control.
The rapid loss of altitude would have been an extremely frightening experience for those on board.
The aviation instructor likened the experience to a “vertical roller coaster”, illustrating how quickly the aircraft lost altitude before stabilising. The plane ultimately reached Tabuk safely, preventing the incident from turning into a mass-casualty disaster.
Passengers and crew played a crucial role in bringing the terrifying ordeal to an end. Their quick intervention helped overpower the attacker and stopped him from keeping control of the cockpit.
CO-PILOT REMAINS IN UAE CUSTODY
The co-pilot has been reportedly identified as Omani national Hamam Al-Hamami. Israeli officials have not publicly named him but have confirmed that the co-pilot is from Oman. UAE authorities and flydubai have also not disclosed his identity.
He remains in UAE custody. The UAE has not announced formal charges against him, and it is not known whether he has appointed a lawyer. Oman has also not publicly commented on the incident.
That leaves several key questions unanswered, including the circumstances surrounding the attack, the co-pilot’s motive and how he came to be assigned to a flight travelling to Israel.
QUESTIONS OVER FLIGHT TO ISRAEL
The co-pilot’s nationality has added another layer to the investigation. Israel does not have formal diplomatic relations with Oman. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said pilots from countries without such relations were not permitted to operate flights to Israel.
Netanyahu has also alleged that the co-pilot had undergone radical Islamist indoctrination and described him as clearly suicidal. It also remains unclear how the Omani co-pilot was assigned to a flight travelling to Tel Aviv if the restrictions described by Netanyahu were in place.
That question is likely to form part of the wider investigation as authorities examine the co-pilot’s employment history, travel, education and contacts. The case now involves authorities in Australia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel, with Oman also potentially relevant because of the co-pilot’s reported nationality.
Australia’s counterterrorism investigation is focused specifically on his connections to the country. The Melbourne university reports have given investigators a starting point for examining his time in Australia.
– Ends
With inputs from Reuters
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
