TEL AVIV Ñ Executives at Israel's El Al airlines are working on the assumption that the national air carrier came under separate terrorist attacks in
both Russia and the United States on July 4.
In Los Angeles, two people including at least one Israeli were killed and 17 others injured by a
gunman at the El Al airlines counter at the city's international airport.
The gunman was killed by an El Al security officer.
Also on Thursday, an El Al pilot reported that a missile was fired at his
passenger jet during a flight to Russia. The missile missed the plane and
exploded on the right side of the aircraft, El Al executives said.
The plane, on a flight from Tel Aviv to Moscow, landed safely in Moscow, Middle East Newsline reported.
The pilot reported a flash several kilometers away that appeared to be that
of a missile.
The executives said the report is being investigated. So far, the
executives said, Russian authorities did not report a missile launch.
Last year, a Russian airliner full of Israeli passengers was shot down
by a missile over Ukraine in what was termed an accident.
The motive for the Los Angeles attack was not clear. An FBI officer said the gunman
was not a terrorist.
But Israeli officials said the attack resembled others carried out by terrorists in Europe. On
Friday, CNN identified the gunman as an Egyptian national who lived in
nearby Irvine, Calif.
"It seems like terrorism," Israeli consul general Yuval Rotem said. "The
way it was conducted was very similar to previous attacks at El Al
counters throughout European countries. And therefore given this history we
presume that it may be, and would appear to be, a terrorist attack."
El Al executives said they are awaiting a determination by U.S.
authorities on the nature of the attack. They said Israeli and U.S.
officials are cooperating in the probe.
"Means of security have been reinforced and security checks of
passengers, air crew and El Al planes throughout the world have been
increased," an El Al statement said.
El Al has been under threat for years by Arab and Islamic insurgency
groups. An El Al airliner was hijacked for the first and only time in 1968
on a flight to Rome and was forced to land in Algiers.
