Australian authorities have opened an investigation into the terrorist pilot from the Fly Dubai flight who attacked the Indian captain during the flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Reuters reported Sunday.
2+The co-pilot, Hamam al-Hamami, an Omani citizen, attacked the captain with an emergency axe that was in the cockpit. The United Arab Emirates Attorney General defined the incident as a “terrorist attack.”
According to the report, sources involved in the investigation said al-Hamami previously studied at a university in Melbourne, Victoria. Local media reported he studied at RMIT University, but the institution declined to comment to Reuters.
2+The Australian Federal Police confirmed that Victoria’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Federal Police, Victoria Police, and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), is now examining al-Hamami’s ties to Australia.
“The Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team can confirm it is investigating the man’s links to Australia,” a Federal Police spokesperson said, adding that a further update will be provided later.
2+Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that al-Hamami allegedly visited mosques associated with extremist elements and browsed extremist websites during his time in Australia. According to the report, Australian intelligence services also held a file on him.
The investigation into his Australian connections joins probes underway in the United Arab Emirates and other countries attempting to trace the background and motive for the act, and to determine whether al-Hamami acted alone or was in contact with other parties.