Russia finally has confirmed that terrorists planted a bomb on the A321 passenger plane that blew up over the Sinai last month, killing 224 people, most of them Russian tourists.
Russia has been playing along with Egypt by steering clear of stating that terrorists were able to infiltrate Egyptian security, such as it is, and place a bomb equivalent to two pounds of TNT on the plane before it left the Sharm al-Sheikh airport.
A group linked with the Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to “find and punish” the terrorists.
He said:
We’ll look for them everywhere, wherever they are hiding. We’ll find them in any corner of the planet and punish them.
Russia announced its findings after investigators said they found traces of explosives on debris that was scattered over an area of several square miles.
Hours after the announcement from Moscow, Egyptian officials detained 17 people, including two Sharm al-Sheikh airport workers suspected of helping the terrorists plant the bomb.