Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the terror group’s Yemen-based branch, has reportedly praised the attempted hijacking of a flydubai aircraft and urged supporters to target US and Israeli airlines.

The comments appeared in an editorial published in AQAP’s weekly magazine, Al-Bayan, which discussed the failed attack on flydubai flight FZ1073. The publication reportedly commended the actions of the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the aircraft’s captain and called for similar incidents.

Titled “Between September 11 and September 30”, the editorial featured images of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.

The article claimed that the conflict was ongoing and that aircraft carrying Israelis, Americans and others it considers opponents remained vulnerable. It referred to the September 11 attacks and the September 30 incident as examples.

The publication also suggested that a successful hijacking could have altered the regional balance of power. It further argued that an attacker need not share the group’s religious beliefs for an assault on US or Israeli targets to benefit its cause.

What happened aboard flydubai flight FZ1073

The flight was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when the co-pilot, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, allegedly attacked Indian captain Smit Machchhar with an onboard crash axe.

Despite being injured, Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door and alert others, according to accounts of the incident. Passengers and crew members then intervened and restrained the co-pilot.

The Boeing 737 reportedly lost nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds during the confrontation. A second pair of flydubai pilots who were travelling on board took over and landed the aircraft at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia.

Authorities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are investigating the incident. The claims made by AQAP in its publication have not, by themselves, established any link between the group and the alleged attacker.