A Flydubai captain was stabbed in the head by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The attack forced the Boeing 737, carrying 174 people, to make an emergency landing in Tabuk in north-western Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, September 30.
Captain's injuries and heroic actions
Captain Smit Machchhar, from Mumbai, India, was seriously injured in the attack. Netanyahu told Fox News that the pilot was "stabbed in the head" and his "arm was basically split in two." The captain was taken to a hospital and was in stable condition, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed.
Despite his injuries, witnesses and Israeli authorities said Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door to let passengers in, who then restrained the attacker while the plane descended sharply. He has been hailed as a hero for thwarting a potential disaster.
Netanyahu's claims and reaction
Netanyahu claimed the alleged co-pilot attacker "underwent Islamist radical indoctrination," though he provided no further information or evidence to support the claim. He added that without the heroics of those onboard, "we could be sitting today in a 9/11 tragedy, with bodies scattered in the desert."
The incident is under investigation, and the captain remains in stable condition in a Saudi hospital.
