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Who is Musa Abdraim? Former boxer, 52, puts own life at risk to save girl hostage at Kazakhstan's Almaty airport; Watch
Former boxing champion Musa Abdraim bravely stepped in to replace a frightened 21-year-old security guard who was being held at knifepoint at Almaty Airport.
Musa Abdraim, a former professional boxer, acted without hesitation to assist airport security in eliminating a knife-wielding attacker who was intimidating a young woman and alleging that he was carrying a bomb in his backpack.
The 52-year-old former boxer, who is father to five kids, was spotted risking his life at Kazakhstan's Almaty airport. He intended to swap himself for the hostage, a 21-year-old security guard, that the aggressor had abducted.
The bizarre incident occurred when a 67-year-old man was interrogated at the security checkpoint, where officers asked him to show his identification card. The man responded angrily by showing a knife and holding the girl hostage while threatening to stab her. He even claimed to have a bomb in his bag that he could set off using his phone. “The attacker had a knife and a phone. He told the police that he would press a button and everything would explode,” stated Abdraim, as per Marca.com.
How Musa Abdraim save the young girl hostage
With police and security personnel observing the scenario amid the horrific situation, Abdraim made a daring choice as he offered to replace himself with the young hostage. The attacker agreed to release her and take him in her place.
Taking advantage of a moment of diversion, Abdraim jumped on the assailant when he accepted the deal and grabbed the knife by the blade. Following a fight, the attacker was eventually subdued and taken into custody with the assistance of police and airport security.
Musa Abdraim awarded by Kazakhstan's President for his bravery
Recalling the incident, Abdraim mentioned that he arrived at the airport to see off his relatives and he suddenly heard a girl screaming. “I saw that she was going to be stabbed and I said: ‘Take me hostage instead of her’'.”
“I wasn't afraid for myself. But I felt anxious: what if he kills that girl? I thought, 'What if it's my daughter?' I had no idea I would become a hero. It was my duty as a man,” the former boxer stated.
He further opened up about his boxing, martial arts, Thai boxing, kickboxing experience, stressing that “it was a long time ago.”
The attacker could possibly be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison for his conduct, according to Kazakh officials. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the president of the nation, awarded Abdraim a state medal for his valor.
