Boxing training and a connection to a mosque in Melbourne: new details about the pilot-terrorist

New details about Hammam al-Hammami, the Omani pilot who tried to crash a Flydubai plane at Ben Gurion Airport, reveal that he used to frequent a mosque in Melbourne, knew people linked to an Islamic center led by "Abu Hamza," and drew inspiration from the September 11 attacks. The investigation in the Emirates found that he trained in boxing and made two prior flights to Israel to learn the flight route.

New details about Hammam al-Hammami, the 29-year-old Omani citizen who tried to seize a Flydubai plane and crash it at Ben Gurion Airport, are being published in the Australian newspaper "Herald Sun." According to the report, al-Hammami used to frequent a mosque in Melbourne, Australia, where he was exposed to people linked to an Islamic center led by a cleric known as "Abu Hamza." Investigators in the Emirates found that he drew inspiration from the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and sought to carry out a similar attack using a passenger plane. The investigation further shows that the co-pilot prepared for the attack over an extended period, both mentally and physically. He consumed extremist propaganda and underwent private boxing training as part of his preparations. He also made two prior flights on the Dubai–Tel Aviv route, intended to allow him to familiarize himself with the flight route and Ben Gurion Airport ahead of the planned attack. The Attorney General of the United Arab Emirates, Hamad Saif al-Shamsi, stated that the investigation's findings indicate that al-Hammami's first signs of radicalization appeared as early as 2017, during the period when he was studying in Australia.