El Al Says It Foiled Hijacker
Israeli sky marshals foiled a hijacking attempt on an El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Turkey on Sunday, overpowering a man armed with a pocketknife, witnesses and officials said.
Flight 581 landed safely in Istanbul and none of the 170 passengers was hurt, an El Al official said. A Turkish airport official said one “terrorist” was being held after the incident.
Witnesses said the passenger tried to storm the cockpit before security guards on board caught him. A news agency identified the man as Tawfiq Fukra, 23, an Arab with an Israeli passport.
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