Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday evening that Ethiopian authorities had arrested a Sudanese passenger accused of trying to kill an Israeli traveler aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Chad to Ethiopia.
Yedioth Ahronoth’s website quoted the ministry as saying it knew of the incident and had informed the Israeli embassy in Addis Ababa.
The incident reportedly occurred the previous Thursday. The Israeli, 54-year-old Arik, said the man attacked from behind and tried to strangle him as the aircraft began descending.
According to Arik, the attacker first struck his head and shouted “Allahu akbar.” Flight attendants and a Lebanese passenger intervened, freeing him and detaining the attacker.
The newspaper said Arik worked for an Israeli telecommunications company operating in Africa and intended to land in Addis Ababa before continuing to Israel.
He said most passengers did not intervene, except for the Lebanese traveler.
After landing, Ethiopian police boarded and arrested the Sudanese man.