Breaking! ISIS Crashed Russian Airline Killing 224 passengers onboard [photos]

A Russian airliner has crashed in central Sinai killing all 224 people on board.  The Airbus A-321 had just left the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, bound for the Russian city of St  Petersburg when it crashed. Wreckage was found in the Hasana area and bodies removed, along with the plane's "black box". An official described a "tragic scene" with bodies of victims still strapped to seats. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared Sunday a day of mourning.

He has ordered an official investigation into the crash, and for rescue teams to be sent to the crash site. Egyptian officials said 214 of the passengers were Russian and three Ukrainian. A passenger list published by the Russian Association of Tour Operators showed that 10 of those on board were under the age of 10, with one only 10 months old. A commission headed by Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov is to leave for Egypt on Saturday afternoon.

A criminal case has also been opened against the airline, Kogalymavia, for "violation of rules of flight and preparation for them", Russia's Ria news agency reported.

 

Meanwhile, Terror Monitor, an online terrorist monitoring organisation, claims to have a statement from Islamic State militants claiming responsibility for the attack. The group, which watches terrorist groups around the world, tweeted an image of the Arabic statement and wrote: "#IslamicState (#ISIS) terror group claims downing of Russian aircraft in #Sinai."

The unverified statement, written in Arabic, says the flight crash was NOT a technical fault, as reported by security sources. The translated statement read: "The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. News agencies has also reported ISIS has claimed responsibility for the downing of the Russian plane. According to the agency the statement on social media read: "The soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane in Sinai."