Russian investigators have said definitively that the cause of the
Russian plane crash in Egypt that killed 224 people in October was
caused by a terrorist bomb.
In response, President Vladimir Putin has vowed “retribution” against
those responsible and
ordered Russia’s military to intensify its
operations against terrorist groups in Syria.
U.S. officials said Russia has already launched an aerial bombardment of
Islamic State (ISIS) positions in Syria, hitting the group’s de facto
capital Raqqa.
The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) says it
will pay a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of
those involved in the apparent plot.
The head of Russia’s FSB security service told President Vladimir Putin
during a televised meeting that his experts had concluded that a
homemade explosive device with the equivalent of about 2 pounds of TNT
had been placed aboard the plane.
"We can say unequivocally that this was a terrorist attack," FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov told Putin.
The Metrojet plane, a Russian Airbus A32, had taken off from Sharm
el-Sheikh and had been in the air for 22 minutes when it disappeared
from radar screens and crashed into the desert.
Bortnikov said an analysis of passengers’ personal effects, baggage and
pieces of the plane had shown traces of an "explosive materials of
foreign production."
The FSB chief said the power of the bomb caused the plane to break-up in
mid-air, "which explains why the fuselage of the plane was found across
great distance."
Putin did not say who he believed to be behind the attack, but he strongly implied that Russia will now target the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, which, along with its affiliate in Egypt, has already claimed responsibility several times for the crash.
"We will not wipe tears from our heart and soul. This will remain with
us forever," Putin said. "We will look for them everywhere, wherever
they may hide themselves, we will find them, at any point on the planet,
and we will take retribution."
Putin said Russia will now intensify its military operations in Syria so
that those behind the attack “will understand retribution is
inevitable.”
The retaliation appeared to have already begun, with U.S. defense
officials telling ABC News they had recorded a major bombardment of
Islamic State positions by Russian forces in the past 24 hours; Russian
ships fired 20 cruise missiles at Raqqa, Syria, and a dozen Cold War-era
long-range bombers struck other ISIS strongholds.
The officials said Russia had informed the United States of the air operation before it began.
Russia has been bombing targets in Syria since late-September when it
launched its campaign to support Bashar al-Assad’s government, saying it
has hit hundreds of targets, including Islamic State fighters. In
statements released claiming responsibility for the destruction of the
Metrojet flight in Egypt, ISIS said it was a revenge for Russia’s
strikes in Syria.
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