Stan Grant speaks to Russian analyst Filip Slaveski about the downing of the Russian Metrojet plane.
‘No foul play’ ... Egypt says it hasn’t found any evidence so far of terrorism linked to the crash of a Russian passenger plane. Picture: AP
EGYPT says it hasn’t found any evidence so far of terrorism or other illegal action linked to the crash of a Russian passenger plane in Sinai that killed all 224 people on board on October 31.
This contradicts Russia and Western governments, which have said the Airbus A321 operated by Metrojet was likely brought down by a bomb, and the Islamic State militant group’s Sinai branch said it had smuggled an explosive on board.
But Egypt’s civil aviation ministry released a statement by chief investigator Ayman el-Muqadam saying it had completed a preliminary report on the crash and said it had so far found no evidence of criminal foul play.
“The technical investigative committee has so far not found anything indicating any illegal intervention or terrorist action,” the ministry said in a statement on Monday.
The statement from Egypt contadicts that from Russia’s investigators. Picture: AFP/Russia’s Emergency Ministry/Maxim GrigoryevSource:AFP
The vaguely worded statement implied this is not the final conclusion of the investigators. El-Muqadam’s statement also says the committee is “continuing its work.”
The crash hit Egypt’s tourism industry, a cornerstone of the economy.
The plane took off from Sharm al-Sheikh, a Red Sea resort popular with Russian and British holiday makers.
It raised serious questions about airport security with Russia and Britain both suspending flights into Sharm al-Sheikh.
Egypt is facing a two-year Islamist insurgency in the Sinai that killed hundreds of soldiers and police.
Islamic State said the bombing was in response to Russian air strikes in Syria.
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