Anwar Gargash Describes the "Fly Dubai" Plane Incident as a "Serious Terrorist Act"

A senior official in the United Arab Emirates described the crisis that occurred during a Fly Dubai flight on Wednesday as a "serious terrorist act," as the suspect arrived in the country on Thursday amid ongoing investigations into the incident. The motive behind the incident, which resulted in serious injuries to Indian pilot Smit Machhar after an attack by the co-pilot during the plane's descent from over 17,000 feet, has not yet been determined.

Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates, wrote on the platform "X" (formerly Twitter) on Friday: "The Indian pilot of Fly Dubai, Smit Machhar, deserves all the appreciation; he embodied courage and responsibility in the face of a serious terrorist act and a potential disaster. His professionalism and moral sense in the darkest circumstances make him a true hero."

Gargash also warned against adopting conspiracy theories while investigators seek to uncover the truths related to what happened. He wrote: "Away from the simplistic reduction of what occurred or adopting and promoting conspiracy theories, vigilance and caution remain a necessity in the face of the risks of extremism and terrorism."

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that the Attorney General of the state opened an investigation on Thursday to determine whether the acts of violence that occurred on board the Fly Dubai flight heading to Tel Aviv on Wednesday were linked to "terrorist activity" or involved any "prior planning or direction." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that the suspect underwent a process of "extremist ideological indoctrination," although he did not describe the incident as a terrorist act.