El Al Plane From Thailand to Israel Safely Thwarts Attempted Communication Takeover

An El Al flight traveling from Phuket, Thailand, to Ben-Gurion Airport in Israel encountered an attempted takeover of its communication network by “hostile elements” on Saturday night, marking the second such incident within a week. Despite the alarming attempt, the aircraft successfully reached its destination without any harm to passengers or crew.

The incident occurred in airspace known for the activity of the Iran-backed Houthis, though sources in Somalia have implicated a group from the de-facto state of Somaliland, which has recently entered into an agreement with Ethiopia, as the perpetrators behind the attempted attack.

The flight crew, upon receiving anomalous instructions that deviated from their planned route, quickly recognized the threat. They did not comply with these instructions and instead switched to alternative communication…