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SAT 3 OCT 2026
Newstro
BreakingSAT., OCT. 3, 2026 • VIDEO REPORT

Al-Qaeda-Linked Newsletter Praises Flydubai Attack Attempt

An online newsletter linked to al-Qaeda appears to have praised the Sept. 30 attempted attack on a Flydubai flight and called for Israeli and U.S. nationals on planes to be targeted, the Express reports. The claims have not been independently verified.

Based on reporting by Charlie Bradley, the Express

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Video thumbnail: Al-Qaeda-Linked Newsletter Praises Flydubai Attack Attempt 2:27
170+People aboard
29Copilot’s age
11THAl-Bayan issue

What happened

An online newsletter linked to al-Qaeda appears to have praised the Sept. 30 attempted attack on a Flydubai flight and called for Israeli and U.S. nationals traveling on aircraft to be targeted, the Express reports. The claims have not been independently verified.

Reuters reported that the UAE prosecutor general formally described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. The copilot allegedly attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. More than 170 people were aboard, most of them Israeli nationals.

The copilot, Hamam al-Hammami, 29, is under investigation in the United Arab Emirates. Two sources told CNN he was removed from a previous job at Oman’s national airline last year following concerns about his extremist views.

The Times of Israel reported that Israeli investigators believe he had undergone indoctrination into “al-Qaeda’s ideology,” and that they are examining whether he acted alone and looking for possible copycats.

Newstro reports facts and attributes every statement, and does not show or link to the publication. Photos marked “file photo” are not from the events described.

The Newstro report

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Read the transcript click a paragraph to jump to it in the video

How it unfolded

  1. The copilot allegedly attacked the captain with a cockpit crash axe and attempted to take control of the aircraft. More than 170 people were aboard, most of them Israeli nationals.

  2. Reuters reported that the UAE prosecutor general formally described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack. The copilot is under investigation in the UAE.

  3. Israeli investigators believe he underwent indoctrination into “al-Qaeda’s ideology,” the Times of Israel reported. They are examining whether he acted alone and looking for possible copycats.

  4. Telegram channels associated with the publication appeared to be circulating its 11th issue, which praised the attack and called for Israeli and U.S. nationals on planes to be targeted, according to the Express.

The publication

A weekly propaganda publication produced by the pro-al-Qaeda media outlet Al-Yaqin.

The Express

An al-Qaeda-affiliated magazine, primarily distributed through Al-Yaqin-affiliated channels.

Terrogence, terrorism-monitoring organisation

A weekly publication produced by the pro-al-Qaeda media outlet Al-Yaqin.

Daniele Garofalo, jihadism researcher

Descriptions as reported by the Express. Previous issues have included attack summaries, religious material and articles promoting al-Qaeda’s narrative. The full contents of the 11th issue were not available through an independently indexed website at the time of publication.

The cockpit of a Boeing 737 MAX
BOEING 737 MAX COCKPIT (FILE PHOTO)

The investigation

The copilot is under investigation in the UAE, where the prosecutor general has described the incident as an attempted terrorist attack, according to Reuters.

In Israel, investigators are examining whether he acted alone and are looking for possible copycats, the Times of Israel reported.

170+People aboard
UAELeading the investigation

Sources and credits

Reporting

Express.co.uk — “Al Qaeda calls for more attacks on US and Israeli flights after horror FlyDubai ‘hijack’” (Charlie Bradley, Oct. 3, 2026), citing Reuters, CNN, the Times of Israel, Terrogence and Daniele Garofalo.

Photos (Wikimedia Commons)

  • Flydubai Boeing 737 MAX 8 — Bahnfrend (CC BY-SA 4.0)
  • Boeing 737 MAX cockpit — GeoMancer448 (CC BY 4.0)

Graphics and layout: Newstro. All photos are file images from other dates and events; none show the Sept. 30 incident. The video also uses photos of an Oman Air 737 (Aeroprints.com, CC BY-SA 3.0), the Tel Aviv area (Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Dubai International Airport (EditQ, CC0).