India, Oct. 3 -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has termed the mid-air attack aboard a flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv as a terrorist act and praised Indian captain Smit Machchhar, who was stabbed while helping avert a potential disaster involving more than 170 passengers.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash said on Friday that Machchhar was a hero and deserved "every appreciation, for in confronting a serious terrorist act and a potential disaster, he embodied the true meaning of courage and responsibility."

According to a preliminary investigation in Saudi Arabia, an altercation broke out in the cockpit and the co-pilot assaulted Machchhar, who was eventually stabbed. Despite his injuries, he managed to open the cockpit door...