Reports indicate that the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv had posted al-Qaeda-related content on his social media accounts following the incident.
According to a CNN report citing two informed sources, the suspect has been identified as Hamam al-Hamami. His LinkedIn profile shows he had previously worked for Oman Air for seven years but was reportedly dismissed from flight training courses due to concerns about his extremist views.
Approximately nine hours after the incident on the Flydubai flight, two posts appeared on al-Hamami's LinkedIn account. CNN reported that one video included images from an aircraft cockpit and planes from Israeli airlines El Al and Arkia. The video concluded with images of former al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri and Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, a suicide bomber loyal to al-Qaeda who carried out an attack in 2009.
Similar videos were posted almost simultaneously on an Instagram account with a similar name and pictures, and both accounts were later deleted. It is unclear who posted the material. A review of al-Hamami's deleted posts on X (formerly Twitter) revealed "deeply religious and misogynistic" views, including opposition to women working in mixed-gender environments.
The UAE Attorney General has launched an investigation to determine if the incident was a "terrorist activity" and whether it was pre-planned or directed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that it was suspected the co-pilot was "indoctrinated with Islamist extremism."
Despite the social media content, a direct organizational link between Hamam al-Hamami and a specific terrorist group like al-Qaeda has not yet been established, and the investigation is ongoing.
Source: CNN
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