A possible 9/11-style attack on Israel?

A passenger on board a hijacked plane described how he wrestled an alleged terrorist out of the cockpit before taking control of the jet, averting a possible 9/11-style attack on Israel, The Telegraph reports.

A Flydubai jet carrying Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv went into a nosedive on Wednesday morning when the co-pilot stabbed the pilot and tried to disable the controls.

The hero, identified on Wednesday night as Yaniv Hayun, said: “When I went in, I saw the terrorist on the controls, between the two seats. There were no pilots in the seats.

“I grabbed the terrorist, put him in a hold, and first of all pulled him outside.”

Mr Hayun said he called for other passengers to help hold back the co-pilot before rushing back into the cockpit to steady the plane.

“I jumped back in there, grabbed the controls, started pulling the controls,” he said, adding that another pilot later took over from him and landed the plane.

Israeli security officials have told The Telegraph the terrorist may have planned to crash the plane into an Israeli city.

Three separate sources said that a September 11-style attack was a major line of inquiry.

Officials are unclear on the intended target, but more than one source pointed to the possibility of a tower block in Tel Aviv.

Mr Netanyahu said the co-pilot had been arrested and was being questioned. His identity, intention and motive have not been confirmed.

However, he is believed to be Omani. Israel is investigating how he was cleared to operate a flight bound for Tel Aviv, given that Oman and Israel have no diplomatic relations and Israel imposes strict controls on foreign crew flying into its airspace.

The pilot was also hailed a hero on Wednesday night. Smit Machchhar, from India, is thought to have been stabbed by his co-pilot in the cockpit. Mr Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door during the melee.

A friend of Mr Machchhar told The Telegraph on Wednesday night that he was “stable now and out of surgery”.

The attack could upset sensitive relations between Gulf states and Israel, which have been drawing closer in recent years.

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