
Moscow cast doubt Saturday on claims by the Islamic State group's Egyptian affiliate to have downed a Russian passenger jet that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula, killing all 224 people onboard.
"This information cannot be considered accurate," transport minister Maksim Sokolov said in comments cited by Russian news agencies.
"We are in close contact with our Egyptian colleagues and aviation authorities in the country. At present, they have no information that would confirm such insinuations," he added.
The IS affiliate, which is waging a deadly insurgency in the Sinai, had circulated a statement on social media claiming responsibility for the crash, saying it brought down the aircraft in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria.
"The soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane in Sinai," its statement said.
Several military experts contacted by AFP said it was unlikely that IS militants in Sinai would have missiles capable of shooting down a plane flying at 30,000 feet.
But they did not discount the possibility that a bomb may have been planted on the plane, or that it could have been hit by a rocket or missile as it lost height due to technical problems.
Source: AFP
GMT 11:43 2018 Thursday ,30 August
Terrorist organizations prepare for using chemical weapons against civiliansGMT 09:49 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
Turkey strikes Kurdish militants in Iraq 'planning attack'GMT 09:46 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
Qatar backs Turkey's military action against KurdsGMT 09:37 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
US-led strikes kill up to 150 IS fighters in SyriaGMT 09:34 2018 Wednesday ,24 January
Canada looks to Pacific as NAFTA under threatGMT 21:37 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Joy and hope in Liberia as George Weah sworn inGMT 19:21 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Canadian wins $1m in Dubai Duty Free Millennium drawGMT 17:56 2018 Tuesday ,23 January
Video: Sheikh Hamdan visits family who lost seven children

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor