An EL AL flight en route from Phuket, Thailand, to Israel encountered a security incident Saturday night, reports Kan News.
According to the Israeli news outlet, unidentified hostile elements reportedly attempted to hijack the aircraft’s communication network as the plane flew over an area known for Houthi rebel activities.
The crew received navigation commands that deviated significantly from the planned flight path, leading to suspicions that the orders aimed to either compromise the aircraft’s safety or steer it into hostile territories for a hijacking attempt.
Following training for such situations, the flight crew disregarded the anomalous directives and shifted to an alternative communication system. In coordination with air traffic control, they confirmed the authentic flight path and safely landed at Ben Gurion Airport.
The report cites Somalian authorities who blame the security breach on the unrecognized state of Somaliland, which recently engaged in a controversial agreement with Ethiopia.
