The unnamed flydubai copilot who attempted to crash a passenger aircraft filled with ‘Israeli’ travelers earlier this week had previously been banned from flying by Omani aviation authorities due to concerns over his radicalization, a Wall Street Journal report disclosed on Friday.

Additional background cited by CNN indicated that the suspect was born in the United Arab Emirates to an Omani father and a Syrian mother and had resided in the UAE for several years.

Sources told CNN that he previously worked for Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc, while an ‘Israeli’ official confirmed he had been employed by flydubai for eight months preceding the assault.