Russia: Sinai plane crash was the work of terrorists

Debris of the Russian plane crash at Sinai

The mid-air explosion of a Russian jetliner over the Sinai desert last month that killed all 224 people on board was the result of a terrorist attack, Russia’s chief intelligence officer said Tuesday. At a meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin, Federal Security Service head Alexander Bortnikov said that traces of explosives found in the plane’s wreckage indicated that an improvised explosive device had been detonated on board. The statement marked the first time Russian authorities verified the crash was the work of terrorists. Western leaders, including President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, said just days after the Oct. 31 tragedy that a bomb may have been responsible.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, but has provided no additional evidence to support the assertion.
“We can say conclusively that this was a terrorist act,” Bortnikov said on Tuesday, according to an official transcript of the briefing.
Meanwhile, in Egypt, authorities Tuesday detained two employees of Sharm el-Sheikh airport in connection with the downing of the Russian jet, two security officials told the Reuters news agency. The doomed airliner was traveling from the Sinai resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St. Petersburg, Russia when it exploded in mid-air and crashed into the desert.
“Seventeen people are being held, two of them are suspected of helping whoever planted the bomb on the plane at Sharm el-Sheikh airport,” one of the officials said.
Egypt has still not yet confirmed that a bomb was responsible, saying it wants to wait until all investigations are complete.
U.S. officials have been cautious in blaming the attack on terrorism. Obama said earlier this month that there was “a possibility” that a bomb was on board and “we’re taking that very seriously.” U.S. military officials said an infrared satellite had detected a heat flash, which could have been the result of an explosion, from the plane. But the information was not conclusive, they had added at the time.
The Russian government suspended flights to Egypt on Nov. 6 because of concerns of lax security at the airport in the Sinai resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the stricken plane took off from. The jet, on its way to St. Petersburg, Russia, blew up in mid-air shortly after take-off (You can read the story here).