Israel was reportedly on standby to shoot down a Flydubai passenger aircraft if it entered Israeli airspace during an attempted hijacking, according to information that has now emerged.
The incident involved a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai in the UAE to Tel Aviv in Israel. The attempted takeover was allegedly carried out by Omani co-pilot Hamal Al Hamami.
During the struggle, the captain, identified as Smith Machar, was severely assaulted while trying to stop the attempt. He was attacked with an emergency axe kept on board, suffering injuries to the head, arms, legs, chest and upper abdomen.
An emergency alert indicating a hijack attempt was issued during the episode. With most passengers said to be Israelis and fears that the aircraft could be crashed into buildings causing heavy casualties, the Israeli military was reportedly prepared to act.
However, a major disaster was averted as the aircraft did not enter Israeli airspace and instead changed course toward Saudi Arabia, the report said.
