The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack that brought down a Russian airliner that crashed in Egypt. The attack killed all 224 people on board the plane. If the report is true, then it is the first attack from ISIS against a passenger plane.
Representatives of British Prime Minister David Cameron have stated that the plane was likely brought down by an explosive device. Great Britain has suspended all flights to and from Egypt’s Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. The country is advising against traveling to the area.
Officials are working on investigating the black boxes from the aircraft. One has had its data properly extracted, but the other was damaged and will require repairs before it can be utilized.
Meanwhile, Ireland has informed airline operators to not fly to Sharm el-Sheikh. France has also stopped flying over the Sinai Peninsula.
However, officials from Russia and Egypt have stated that they have doubts that the attack was caused by ISIS. However, officials say that they cannot rule out any possibility, and they will continue to investigate the matter.
Determining the true culprit might take weeks or even months. For now, ISIS is saying it committed the action, and it is challenging others to prove otherwise.
On Wednesday, ISIS representatives said in an audio statement, “Prove that we didn’t bring it down, and how it came down. We will detail how it came down at the time of our choosing.”
ISIS has been operating an aggressive insurgency in Egypt north of the Sinai Peninsula. Already, hundreds of police officers and soldiers have been killed. The group has also claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing that occurred at a police social club in El-Arish. The attack killed four police officers.
The Russian airline Kogalymavia was the operator of the plane. The company ruled out both technical fault and human error. Kogalymavia has a questionable safety record, and most of its aircrafts are considerably aged.
President Vladimir Putin has described the crash as Russia’s worst-ever air disaster and a huge tragedy.
In Russia, roughly 300 people attended a ceremony for the victims that took place on Wednesday.
Although ISIS is known to have capabilities of anti-aircraft missiles, the group is not known for possessing weapons capable of bringing down an airliner at a high altitude.
ISIS regularly posts outlandish and violent photos that many observers question in regards to authenticity. The group recently responded to an attack from fellow terrorist organization al-Qaeda. ISIS said that al-Qaeda was a bunch of “donkeys”.
The group has reportedly been agitated by people saying that they didn’t cause the attack against the Russian passenger jet. The group insisted in the recent audio message that they did cause the crash.
“We downed Russian plane, so die in your rage,” ISIS said.
The terrorist group has challenged anyone to prove otherwise.
“Bring your black box, and do your analysis. Prove we didn’t down it. We will reveal the way at the time we wish,” they added.
The video in question does not depict the attack in any fashion, and it doesn’t prove any capabilities of ISIS. They thanked “God” for their ability to bring down the plane.
Time will tell if ISIS can prove that they actually brought down the plane.
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