Published: Oct 02, 2026, 23:05 IST | Updated: Oct 02, 2026, 23:05 IST
In his first public remarks since averting a mid-air catastrophe, the Indian pilot attacked by his co-pilot aboard a flight from the UAE to Israel stated he was driven by a single thought: he could not let all those people die. During a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Captain Smit Machchhar recounted how he managed to unlock the cockpit door despite severe stab wounds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel will extract a heavy toll from any entity or foreign power found responsible for orchestrating the attack.