In a statement following the crash of Russia’s Kogalymavia flight 9268, an “Islamic State”-allied militant group based in northern Sinai claimed to have caused the crash in a statement.
“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,” said the statement by the militant group, apparently referring to recent Russian airstrikes in Syria.
Russian officials have dismissed those claims, Deutsche Welle reported.
“Egypt has recovered both black boxes from a Russian aircraft that crashed in Sinai on Saturday, leaving all 224 passengers dead,” said the Egyptian Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Hossam Kemal.
He told a news conference that communications between the aircraft and air traffic control did not signal irregularities prior to the crash. “The plane did not request a change of route,” Kemal said.
However, a senior air traffic control official earlier Friday said the pilot communicated that he was experiencing radio difficulties.
