A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula on Saturday, October 31. The group said in a statement circulated by supporters on Twitter.Initial investigations by Egyptian security sources suggested that the plane crashed due to a technical fault. The claim of responsibility was also carried by the Aamaq website which acts as a semi official news agency for Islamic State.

“The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. They were all killed, thanks be to God,” the statement circulated on Twitter said.

About 224 people on board were killed in the tragedy. The airliner A-321 belonged to a Siberia based airline named Kogalymavia, and took off from Sharm-Al-Sheikh at 9:21 am IST.

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