A hostage situation erupted at a Kazakhstan airport after a man, identified as Botagoz Mukhtarova, took a female security officer hostage, threatening to blow up the entire airport. Suddenly, another man, a former boxer named Musa Abdraim, 52, a father of five, volunteered to take the woman's place as hostage. Swiftly and heroically, Abrdraim was able to disarm and restrain Mukhtarova, saving the woman's life.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to the Daily Mail, the incident took place at Almaty Airport in Kazakhstan. When Mukhtarova was asked to show his ID at the airport's security checkpoint, he instead pulled out a knife. He would then grab a female security officer and threaten her with the knife. Moreover, he also pulled out a phone, stating that he would blow up the entire airport by only pressing a button.
The whole incident was recorded, and video footage shows the exact moment Musa Abdraim entered the scene. While wearing a brown T-shirt, Abdraim made a move that most would not even consider in the slightest.
"I came to the airport to see off my relatives," Abdraim said, as per the Daily Mail. "Suddenly I heard a girl scream and immediately ran there. I saw that he was going to stab her. I told him: 'Take me hostage instead of her.' I was really afraid he would stab her."
A Hero
Surprisingly, Mukhtarova agreed to Abdraim's courageous request. Unbeknownst to him, he accepted the woman to trade places with a man who previously practiced combat sports.
"In the past, I did boxing, martial arts, Thai boxing, kickboxing... but that was a long time ago," Abdraim said.
While Mukhtarova stood next to Abdraim while holding his arm, Abdraim waited patiently for the right moment to act. Suddenly, without the attacker noticing it, he quickly grabbed the knife with his bare hands. A struggle ensued as security and police officers joined Abdraim and successfully restrained Mukhtarova. The woman, Abdraim, and the airport were safe.
Local police would then issue statements regarding the incident. Botagoz Mukhtarova, a 67-year-old man, now faces up to 12 years in prison as a result of the attack.
"Officers at Almaty Airport detained a man who, after passing into the inspection area, grabbed an inspector by the hair and threatened her with a kitchen knife," a police statement reads. "Police officers, with the help of airport security and a hero citizen, disarmed the offender and took him into custody."
