U.S. Intelligence Sources Believe ISIS Bomb Brought Down Aircraft

Anonymous source in the U.S. intelligence community says a Russian jet crashed due to a bomb planted by the Islamic State.

New evidence collected by U.S. intelligence officials suggest Kogalymavia (7K) Flight 9268 may have been brought down by an explosive device planted by terrorists from the Islamic State. An anonymous source speaking to CNN claims the Airbus A321 broke up and crashed due to an explosion while the aircraft was in the air.

The source cautioned that while the current information suggests that a bomb could have caused the aircraft crash, they stopped short of formally concluding the incident as a terrorist attack. “There is a definite feeling it was an explosive device planted in luggage or somewhere on the plane,” the anonymous source told CNN.

If the information turns out to be correct, it would confirm the Islamic State claims of attacking 7K9268 shortly after the aircraft went down. In a statement translated by The Guardian, the terrorist organization credited the attack as retaliation for Russia’s intervention in Syria.

“The killing of dozens daily in Syria with bombs from your planes will bring woe to you,” the statement from the Soldiers of the Caliphate terror group read, according to The Guardian. “Just as you are killing others, you too will be killed.”

The potential for a bomb exploding in the cargo hold of the aircraft would be in-line with current theories of how the aircraft came down. NBC News reports analysis of the flight data recorders on Wednesday focused on how the aircraft broke up, with the lead theories being the breakup of the aircraft tail due to poor repairs after a 2001 incident, or a bomb exploding in the cargo hold.

All 224 people aboard 7K9268 were killed after the aircraft crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. The investigation is ongoing, with no official cause determined.

[Photo: AP]