US official says ISIS bomb is 'most likely' reason behind Russian jet crash

Intelligence agencies have preliminary evidence suggesting a bomb brought down the plane, killing all 244 people on board, a US official said.

They added that intercepted communications point to an ISIS affiliate in Sinai being responsible for the mid-air blast. 

Another security source told CNN there was a 'definite feeling it was an explosive device planted in luggage or somewhere on the plane'. 

Investigators are focusing on ISIS operatives as the bombers, another US official told NBC News today. 

The boss of Sharm el-Sheikh airport was replaced as speculation continued to suggest a bomb brought on board the Metrojet plane there. 

The US official said they are examining whether an explosive was put on the plane at Sharm el-Sheikh airport by ground crews or baggage handlers.

The Pentagon's senior spokesman, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said: 'We need to advise US workers not to go to the Sinai.' 

Britain also believes the Russian plane may have been brought down by 'an explosive device'.

It has suspended all flights from the Sinai Peninsula to allow a team of UK aviation experts to make an assessment of the security arrangements in place at the airport, leaving 20,000 tourists stranded.

'While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed,' the Prime Minister's office said. 

'But as more information has come to light we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device.' 

No British flights are flying to the resort this evening, but several were due to leave. Ireland has also suspended flights from Egypt.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the British decision was 'premature', while an aviation officials said teams from Russian and British airlines had inspected Sharm el-Sheikh airport and raised no concerns.

The news came soon after ISIS issued an audio message saying: 'We brought it down, die in your rage. We are under no obligation to explain how it came down. Prove that we didn't bring it down and how it came down.' 

Adel Mahgoub, chairman of the state company that runs Egypt's civilian airports, says airport chief Abdel-Wahab Ali had been replaced.

He said the move late Wednesday had nothing to do with media skepticism surrounding the airport's security and said Ali had been 'promoted' to become his assistant.

The crash was most likely to have been caused by an explosion in one of the engines, it was reported.

Sources in Egypt say this conclusion came from initial analysis of the black box recorders and observations at the crash site. 

'It is believed to be an explosion but what kind is not clear. There is an examination of the sand at the crash site to try and determine if it was a bomb,' an Egyptian security source said.

'There are forensic investigations underway at the crash site. That will help determine the cause, to see if traces of explosives are found.' 

The revelations come after disturbing video emerged of the smoldering wreckage of the Airbus A321.

The footage, taken around two hours after the Airbus A321 went down in the Sinai desert, surfaced as more shocking details were revealed about the last minutes of the terrified victims.

A doctor who examined around half the bodies recovered from the crash site said many had suffered horrific burns moments before their death.

His comments add further weight to evidence the Metrojet plane suffered an explosion or catastrophic fire that caused it to break up mid-air. 

The doctor said around a fifth of the bodies had been badly burned, but not was not able to firmly conclude what caused the fire, he told The Daily Telegraph.

Amid ongoing confusion about the fate of the doomed jet, forensic experts also revealed today that initial tests found no explosives on the victims.

A source carrying out examinations told Russian news agency Tass: 'Preliminary tests did not reveal traces of explosives on the bodies of those killed.'

The agency also cited an Egyptian expert who claimed the bodies displayed 'no signs of external impact'. 

(dailymail.co.uk)