World

A U.S. service member was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery after a Japanese woman’s body was discovered in a hotel in Okinawa, local officials said, describing the alleged killing as a “heinous” incident that prompted the Japanese government to lodge a protest with the United States.

Shinjiro Koizumi, the Japanese minister of defense, said a U.S. Marine lance corporal was arrested on Sunday after the woman’s body was found early on Saturday in Naha, the capital city of the Okinawa prefecture.

NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, identified the suspect as Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, who was stationed at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, a base a few miles outside Naha. The broadcaster identified the alleged victim as Yagi Anna, 39, saying she was pronounced dead at the scene after being found at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the Okinawa Prefectural Police were investigating the incident as a murder.

“The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and heinous incident is a matter of profound regret, and as the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the U.S. side,” she said on social media.

NHK reported that security camera footage showed a person who “appeared to be foreign entering the hotel with a woman and later leaving with her belongings.” Some of Yagi’s belongings were allegedly found abandoned near the hotel, NKH reported, citing local police.

The hair and tattoos of the person in the security camera footage reportedly resemble Ballard’s, according to NHK, which also reported that he is suspected of killing Anna between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. local time Saturday and stealing her wallet and other unspecified belongings. Ballard was located late Saturday night in an entertainment district in Okinawa City, about 18 kilometers away from the hotel, and was arrested, according to NHK.

Anna’s cause of death was suffocation caused by pressure on her neck, NHK reports police saying. Ballard has denied killing Anna, police said, according to NHK.

U.S. officials did not immediately confirm the identity of the service member who was arrested, nor did they say whether the person had been officially charged in connection with the death.

“We are actively cooperating with Japanese authorities, in response to allegations of serious criminal actions by a Marine assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force,” the force said in a statement on social media. “We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”

Tens of thousands of U.S. troops are stationed across Japan, including in the country’s southernmost prefecture, Okinawa, which is home to several U.S. bases.

The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said it was aware of the incident and was extending “our deepest condolences to the bereaved family of the deceased.”

“At present, an investigation is underway to clarify the facts, and the United States Government continues to cooperate closely with the Government of Japan and local authorities,” the embassy said in a statement.

George Glass, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, said he had spoken on Sunday morning with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Okinawa’s governor, adding that his office was providing full cooperation with an investigation into the death.

The office of Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan’s foreign minister, said it had summoned Glass on Sunday to issue a protest.

Motegi “strongly urged the U.S. side to strengthen discipline and to prevent the recurrence of incidents so that such a tragedy will never be repeated,” his office said in a press release.

Okinawa Gov. Genta Koja called on Sunday for the U.S. military in Japan to “rigorously enforce discipline among its service members.”

“As Okinawa Prefecture, we will deal with this strictly, including by lodging strong protests with the U.S. military and both the Japanese and U.S. governments, to ensure that such tragic incidents never happen again,” he said in a statement.

ABC News’ Rashid Haddou and Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) — The United States removed its heavy bombers from a base in the United Kingdom it had used to launch strikes on Iran, amid an investigation into a suspected plot to attack the base.

At least a dozen planes, including B-1 bombers, were redeployed to the United States from Royal Air Force Fairford, according to the Pentagon, which did not specify when or why the planes departed.

“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” a Defense Department official said in a statement on Sunday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday morning that the aircraft redeployment reflects a “regular rotation” and that he “wouldn’t directly tie” the suspected plot regarding RAF Fairford to the action.

“[I]t’s not unusual to see rotations happen and movement of assets to different parts of the world based on exercises, redeployments, people changing out and new people coming in, new planes coming in, old planes going out,” Rubio said.

The Pentagon’s statement on the departure came after five men were arrested last month on terror charges near RAF Fairford.

They were arrested in possession of three vans in the village of Whelford, which is about 2 miles from the base, which hosts the U.S. Air Force and has since February been serving as a key hub for American operations against Iran — including for heavy bombers like the B-1.

The five were later released on bail after “extensive interviews,” authorities said.

The suspects, who have not been charged, “remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry,”  Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the United Kingdom, said on Sept. 28.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC News in late September that there were “strong indications” that Iran “played a part in what happened.” 

The Department of Defense said in its Sunday statement that the “U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.”

“The Airmen that operate America’s bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities – including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States – anywhere, anytime,” the statement said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The United States removed its heavy bombers from a base in the United Kingdom it had used to launch strikes on Iran, amid an investigation into a suspected plot to attack the base.

At least a dozen planes, including B-1 bombers, were redeployed to the United States from Royal Air Force Fairford, according to the Pentagon, which did not specify when or why the planes departed.

“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” a Defense Department official said in a statement on Sunday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday morning that the aircraft redeployment reflects a “regular rotation” and that he “wouldn’t directly tie” the suspected plot regarding RAF Fairford to the action.

“[I]t’s not unusual to see rotations happen and movement of assets to different parts of the world based on exercises, redeployments, people changing out and new people coming in, new planes coming in, old planes going out,” Rubio said.

The Pentagon’s statement on the departure came after five men were arrested last month on terror charges near RAF Fairford.

They were arrested in possession of three vans in the village of Whelford, which is about 2 miles from the base, which hosts the U.S. Air Force and has since February been serving as a key hub for American operations against Iran — including for heavy bombers like the B-1.

The five were later released on bail after “extensive interviews,” authorities said.

The suspects, who have not been charged, “remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of enquiry,”  Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing in the United Kingdom, said on Sept. 28.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC News in late September that there were “strong indications” that Iran “played a part in what happened.” 

The Department of Defense said in its Sunday statement that the “U.S. Air Force bombers routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.”

“The Airmen that operate America’s bomber force, including B-1s, B-2s, and B-52s, remain ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities – including through operations that launch and recover from the continental United States – anywhere, anytime,” the statement said.

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(WASHINGTON) — The alleged attacker on the FlyDubai flight to Israel was intending to crash the plane into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to two senior U.S. officials and an Israeli source familiar with the investigation. 

As ABC News has previously reported, Hamam Al-Hammani, an Omani national, had been flagged by Oman Air as a security risk and was suspended as a trainee copilot for that airline in 2024 for possessing extremist materials, according to senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, raising questions about how he was hired at FlyDubai.

Officials investigating the incident are still trying to determine how the suspected attacker was subsequently permitted to fly for FlyDubai and how he ended up as the first officer in the cockpit of a plane headed for Israel, the sources said.

“We recognize that there are many questions at this stage; however, the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation,” FlyDubai said in a statement to ABC News on Saturday. 

“We are therefore not in a position to comment further beyond our published statements. We remain fully committed to supporting the ongoing investigation and are in close coordination with the relevant government authorities and regulators.”

FlyDubai issued a statement earlier Friday, attributed to its chief executive officer, saying that, at the request of the authorities, FlyDubai had “temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice,” and saying “a full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by FlyDubai, is underway.” 

A disaster was averted when the flight’s captain, Smit Machchhar, fought back and a number of passengers subdued and restrained the attacker, who plunged the plane thousands of feet in an apparent attempt to crash it, in what Israeli officials are saying was an act of terror.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the intention was to “crash the plane, killing everyone on board” Flight 1073 from Dubai.

A passenger, Yaniv Hayun, was able to drag the suspect from the cockpit, take control of the plane and level it before a third pilot took over and flew the jet to Saudi Arabia, according to other passengers.

The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.

Al-Hammami was transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates and remains in custody.

“He came to crash the plane with all passengers on board,” Netanyahu said in a video released by his office. “We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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(WASHINGTON) — The alleged attacker on the FlyDubai flight to Israel was intending to crash the plane into Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport, according to two senior U.S. officials and an Israeli source familiar with the investigation. 

As ABC News has previously reported, Hamam Al-Hammani, an Omani national, had been flagged by Oman Air as a security risk and was suspended as a trainee copilot for that airline in 2024 for possessing extremist materials, according to senior intelligence and law enforcement officials, raising questions about how he was hired at FlyDubai.

Officials investigating the incident are still trying to determine how the suspected attacker was subsequently permitted to fly for FlyDubai and how he ended up as the first officer in the cockpit of a plane headed for Israel, the sources said.

“We recognize that there are many questions at this stage; however, the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation,” FlyDubai said in a statement to ABC News on Saturday. 

“We are therefore not in a position to comment further beyond our published statements. We remain fully committed to supporting the ongoing investigation and are in close coordination with the relevant government authorities and regulators.”

FlyDubai issued a statement earlier Friday, attributed to its chief executive officer, saying that, at the request of the authorities, FlyDubai had “temporarily suspended operations to Tel Aviv until further notice,” and saying “a full official investigation, led by the relevant authorities and fully supported by FlyDubai, is underway.” 

A disaster was averted when the flight’s captain, Smit Machchhar, fought back and a number of passengers subdued and restrained the attacker, who plunged the plane thousands of feet in an apparent attempt to crash it, in what Israeli officials are saying was an act of terror.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the intention was to “crash the plane, killing everyone on board” Flight 1073 from Dubai.

A passenger, Yaniv Hayun, was able to drag the suspect from the cockpit, take control of the plane and level it before a third pilot took over and flew the jet to Saudi Arabia, according to other passengers.

The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.

Al-Hammami was transferred Thursday from Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates and remains in custody.

“He came to crash the plane with all passengers on board,” Netanyahu said in a video released by his office. “We are investigating whether he was sent, and whoever sent him will pay a very heavy price.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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TOKYO and LONDON — The III Marine Expeditionary Force in Japan confirmed on Monday that Devin Jacob Ballard, 20, a Marine lance corporal, was the service member arrested on Sunday on suspicion of murdering a Japanese woman in a city near a U.S. base.

Ballard is assigned to the III MEF, a spokesperson told ABC News, adding that the force would not release further personal or administrative details “to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation and adhere to privacy regulations.”

Asked whether the arrest has prompted any additional measures, including changes to liberty or personnel restrictions, 1st Lt. Tyler N. Thomas, media engagement officer for the III MEF, told ABC News, “All U.S. service members in Japan are subject to strict off-duty conduct and liberty guidelines.”

“While we continuously review our security posture and force discipline, we have no announcements regarding changes to liberty policies at this time,” Thomas added.

Ballard, who was named on Sunday by the Japanese media, was arrested on Sunday after the woman’s body was found early on Saturday in Naha, the capital city of the Okinawa prefecture. Police identified the deceased as Anna Yagi, 39, saying she was pronounced dead at the scene after being found at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Ballard was arrested on suspicion of murder and robbery. Police found Anna Yagi’s backpack near the hotel with her wallet still inside. Surveillance video indicates the suspect left the scene on foot.

Investigators are examining Ballard’s movements before and after the incident and the nature of his relationship with Yagi.

Japanese officials lodged what they described as a “strong” protest against the United States on Sunday, as word of the apparent killing spread.

“The occurrence of such an extremely brutal and heinous incident is a matter of profound regret, and as the Government of Japan, we have lodged a strong protest with the U.S. side,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Sunday.

Shinjiro Koizumi, the Japanese minister of defense, said late on Sunday that his office summoned local U.S. military leaders to convey “Japan’s extremely serious concern regarding the robbery and murder incident that occurred in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, while strongly protesting to the U.S. side.”

When asked whether the case could fuel distrust of the U.S.- Japan alliance, Koizumi said the incident must not be allowed to shake public confidence in that alliance, including among Okinawa residents.

The United States has more than 50,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines stationed throughout Japan, including on several bases in Okinawa, an island chain in the south. Okinawa hosts a large share of the U.S. military presence in Japan and remained under U.S. administration until its 1972 reversion to Japan.

Ballard’s force, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, said on Sunday that it was “actively cooperating with Japanese authorities,” adding, “We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”

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FlyDubai captain Smit Machchhar recounted the harrowing moments when he was attacked by his co-pilot during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv Wednesday, telling Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he knew he had to act to save the passengers aboard the plane.

Machchhar spoke with Modi in Hindi in a video call released Friday by the prime minister’s office.

Machchhar, who was seriously injured in the attack, said he realized he was not only fighting to save his own life but also the lives of everyone on the plane.

“When I was lying on the floor, I could feel that the aircraft was plunging and I said to myself while I was getting beaten, ‘This is the last push, Smit, do it, the door is right there,’” Machchhar said.

“Somehow, I opened the door, and everyone came in and everyone else had an equal role in the rescue,” he said. “I was trying to save myself, but I also knew that I can’t let anyone die.”

The flight plunged thousands of feet during the incident before Machchhar, who has been flying for 17 years and had been a captain for 11 years, managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers and crew members to intervene. The plane was diverted to Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, where it made an emergency landing.

“I was fighting for my life in that moment,” Machchhar said, describing the attack. “It was a moment when I thought, because I had fallen on the floor, I was wounded and fell down.”

He said his experience as a pilot helped him understand what was happening even while he was injured.

“Even if I shut my eyes, I can tell what is happening inside a plane,” he said.

During the call, Modi asked Machchhar how he was feeling.

“I am fine and everything is all right,” Machchhar replied.

“The entire country is praying for you,” Modi told him.

Modi praised Machchhar for his courage, patience and presence of mind, saying he had made a split-second decision that saved the lives of many people.

“You took a decision in a fraction of second and saved the lives of so many people,” Modi said. “Today, the whole country can say this with pride: We Indians are not killers, we are life savers.”

Modi also praised Machchhar for thinking about the passengers despite being seriously injured himself.

“And the biggest thing is you enhanced the honor of 1.4 billion Indians and that is why I am feeling proud from my heart,” Modi said.

Machchhar told Modi that he was his “biggest idol” and said he was proud that the prime minister had called him.

Machchhar has been recovering after receiving initial treatment in Tabuk and being transferred to Abu Dhabi for continued medical care.

Modi said prayers had been offered for Machchhar’s recovery at temples and other holy places across India.

“Yesterday, prayers and chants were offered in all the temples and holy places, wishing for your long life, and we all are praying for your good health,” Modi said. “You are going to be in good health very soon and India is very eager to welcome you.”

ABC News’ Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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In a flash, Israeli dentist Dr. Shota Musaev went from being another passenger aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 to a quick-thinking hero who helped save the life of the jet’s captain after he was attacked inside the cabin.

Musaev told ABC News on Thursday that when he and a group of passengers rushed to the cockpit after Capt. Smit Machchhar was attacked, he did not hesitate to do something.

“I think, how [can] I help this situation for all [the passengers for all plane. How I can help,” he told ABC News in an interview at his home in Tel Aviv. “And I see one pilot on the floor, with … blood.”

An unidentified co-pilot allegedly attacked Machchhar with a knife and took the plane into a nose dive in an attempt to crash the plane during its flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israeli officials said.

Another passenger, Yaniv Hayun was able to drag the suspect from the cockpit, took control of the plane and leveled it before a third pilot took over and flew the jet to Saudi Arabia, according to other passengers.

After the plane was leveled, Musaev said he saw the suspect and, with another passenger, tied the suspect’s hands up with headphones. The dentist said the suspect, who is now in custody , said little other than that he was from Oman and then told him “Kill me, kill me, please.”

“Once he had been subdued, caught, he didn’t resist,” Musaev said.

The dentist said he quickly turned his attention to Capt. Machchhar, who was bleeding from wounds to his head, neck and hands. Musaev said he began applying pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding.

“Everything will be good,” Musaev said he told the pilot as he treated him. “He said to me, ‘Help me, please. Help me, please. I don’t want to die here.'”

The plane landed in Saudi Arabia, where the passengers were given medical treatment. The whole ordeal lasted around 40 minutes, Musaev said.

He said on Thursday he was still only understanding what they had been through. “Do you understand we were five to ten seconds from dying?” he said, choking up.

Captain Machchhar was treated at a local hospital in Saudi Arabia and has now been transferred to another hospital in the United Arab Emirates, according to the Indian consulate in Dubai.

“He was speaking openly, smiling and laughing, which was a great relief for us and, above all, for his family,” the Indian ambassador said in a statement Thursday.

The co-pilot is in custody in Abu Dhabi, according to officials from Saudi Arabia

Musaev said he hoped to reunite with the captain one day and express his gratitude for saving him and his fellow passengers despite his injuries.

“We’ll say thank you very much for all,” he said, adding that it was a collective effort in handling the situation.

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Passengers aboard FlyDubai Flight 1073 expressed fear, anger and ultimately elation after they survived what Israeli officials said was an attempted terror attack thousands of feet in the air on Wednesday.

After the passengers, many of whom were Israeli citizens, returned to Tel Aviv following the ordeal, many said they were still bewildered over what transpired during their flight from Dubai.

The plane’s first officer allegedly stabbed the plane’s captain and then made the plane descend rapidly, Israeli officials said, with passengers saying they felt the impact almost immediately.

“I guess usually there’s like some turbulence and you feel like whoa, but then it like evens out pretty quickly, and here it wasn’t like that,” Mika Bauman, who was aboard the flight told ABC News. “It was…like chaos screaming and just the crazy drop. Like you look at the ground and you’re like, ‘OK, I’m going that way right now.'”

Another passenger, who identified herself as Miram, told Israeli media that things got scary when passengers heard the screams coming from the cockpit and saw the bloody pilot.

“We felt like we were, like, going to crash. I was already screaming [the Jewish prayer] ‘Shema Israel’ and saying, ‘I can’t die, I’m my only daughter, I can’t do this to my mother,’ the woman added.

Israeli officials said that some of the passengers worked together to subdue the suspect while another flight crew member was able to take back the plane.

“Here was a crazy man with a knife who stabbed one of the pilots. We jumped and helped the pilot. Friends, everything is OK now, as you can see we are landing in Saudi Arabia, you can see I am fine. That’s it,” passenger Itzhak Liber said in a Hebrew language selfie video posted to Facebook after the incident was over.

The jet was diverted to Saudi Arabia, where the injured pilot was taken to the hospital and the passengers were repatriated later in the day. The unidentified suspect remains in custody and the investigation is ongoing.

When the repatriation flight landed in Tel Aviv later, the passengers arrived to a warm welcome.

“It feels amazing in that it’ll probably take me a little while to get on the plane again. But I’m honestly just thanking God that I’m here right now because it was so close to not happening based on the whole situation that we were just in,” Bauman said after she landed in Israel.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised Capt. Smit Machchhar, the FlyDubai captain credited with intervening to help save the flight from disaster on Wednesday.

“Captain Smit Machchhar has shown the world the highest form of courage. Without fearing for his own life, he fought valiantly and prevented another 9/11 like attack from happening,” Modi said Thursday morning.

The Indian consulate in Dubai said India’s ambassador and consul general in the UAE met with Machchhar’s family members.

“They briefed the family about Captain Machchhar’s health & recovery, conveyed that the Embassy & Consulate are in touch with the UAE authorities, and assured the family of continued support,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in the United Arab Emirates have opened an investigation into the incident involving a FlyDubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an altercation in the cockpit, the state news agency WAM reported Thursday.

The UAE attorney general ordered an investigation to establish the circumstances and motives behind the incident and “determine whether it was linked to any terrorist activity or prior planning,” WAM said.

UAE judicial authorities have jurisdiction over the investigation because the aircraft is registered in the UAE and operates under its flag, meaning offenses committed on board are subject to UAE law even when they occur outside the country, the statement said.

The flight took off at 7:05 a.m. local time from Dubai Wednesday, according to Flightradar24.

Tracking data showed the aircraft descended rapidly from 34,000 to 16,000 feet in three minutes.

About 10 minutes after the initial descent, the plane’s squawk code — used by aircraft to communicate with air traffic control — changed to “general emergency.” Seven minutes later, the squawk code changed again, indicating a hijacking or “unlawful interference.”

The aircraft then continued flying at an average altitude of about 15,000 feet until it landed in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, roughly an hour to an hour and a half after the rapid descent began and the emergency signals were sent.

FlyDubai confirmed that the flight “experienced an incident while en route” and landed in Tabuk.

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