NIA files FIR to probe flydubai incident

NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency has filed an FIR under the Anti-Hijacking Act and UAPA to probe the failed hijacking of a flydubai aircraft. On Sept 30, the flight's Omani co-pilot, Hamam al-Hammami, had stabbed Indian captain Smit Machchhar inside the cockpit.The move follows a central govt directive to probe the possible implications of the attack, thwart future bids and detect any cells active in connection with the incident."The gravity of the offence, its grave national and international ramifications and the need to unearth the larger conspiracy require a thorough probe by the NIA," the agency said in the FIR, describing the incident as an apparent attempt to hijack or crash flydubai Flight 1073.

The move comes amid al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) endorsing the incident in the latest issue of its magazine Nawa-e-Gazwa-e-Hind. AQIS framed the co-pilot's actions as a response to Hamas commander Muhammad Deif's call to reclaim Al-Aqsa Mosque and linked them to Bin Laden's rhetoric.Last week, al-Bayan, another publication linked to the terror outfit, called for a "ten times greater attack than 9/11" and the end of the "American empire". Neither publication, however, claimed responsibility for the attack.AQIS said the attempt had created psychological fear and economic strain for the United States, Israel and their allies despite falling short of its primary goal.