Story Behind Russia Jet Deadly Crash: Planted Bomb or ISIS Attack

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A Russian commercial airliner Kogalymavia Flight 9268 en route Egypt- St. Petersburg, Russia crashed down in the early hours of Saturday 31 October 2015 resulting in the totalled casualties of 224 people along with cabin crew. According to The Moscow Times, the Airbus A321-200 which carried 217 passengers along with 7 cabin crew departed from the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm El- Sheikh at approximately 5.51 am local time and was headed for St. Petersburg before it ceasing to exist some 22 minutes later in the Egyptian mountainous area of Sinai.

The Air Traffic Controller made claims regarding the airline’s failure to make official contact with them. The passenger jet reportedly ascended to 31,000 feet with the flight tracking websites evidently showing that the plane was moving at rapid pace, almost vertical and consequently descending at similarly hasty speed directed to the mountainous area in Egypt killing every single person on-board. It has also been reported that no distress call was yielded thereby causing the ATC tower as well as authorities unaware of such calamitous tragedy.

Contradicting Opinions

As hours progress, contesting opinions regarding the impetus of such tragedy continue to dominate headlines all over the world with many reports claiming that it had fallen apart in mid-air.

“It is too early to speak about the conclusions. The aircraft fell apart in the air, and the fragments of the plane are scattered on a large area,” Head of the Interstate Aviation Committee, Viktor Sorochenko explained in a tone suggesting that it is rather early to make premature judgement regarding the crash on November 1 2015, as cited in Pravda Russian News.

The Head of Russian Aviation Agency Rosaviatsia, Aleksandr Neradko also yielded claim akin to Viktor informing the fact that the evidence found shows the remain of the plane and the bodies were scattered over an area with the span measuring about 8 km by 4 km with additional reports from the Egyptian military further claiming that the plane cracked open into two main segments where one happened to have been colliding with a rock during impact.

Pointing Finger on ISIS

Several hours after the news of the plane crash went viral and dominated international headlines, a shocking surge of scores of tweets and online statements from people claiming to be the representatives of Islamic State Terrorist contingent in the Sinai region left everyone in the world dumbfounded as they voluntarily claimed that its militant forces are the ones responsible for the downing of the jet. They said that the downing was a retaliating- gesture signalling their belligerent move against Russian air strikes which have for quite sometimes been conducted to eradicate ISIS facilities and forces in Syria.

According to Russia Today, Russian authorities along with Egyptian officials have decided to momentarily dismissed the widespread boasts which are largely arguable as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or ISIL- affiliated militants in Sinai are very unlikely to have been possessing the specialized military instrument capable of shooting down an Airbus that huge in scale and especially with it flying at cruising height prior to crashing.

Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov firmly believes that the Islamic State terrorist group had no take on the downing on the jet as no clear evidence was found to support such claim.

“The minister of civil aviation said that it was premature to decide the reasons of the crash and that the whole issue is now under investigation to clarify its reasons,” the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressing remark in an online statement to counter premature and arguable claims.

Still, Act of Terror Taking Place 

Whether some still relying heavily on the positive notion speculating the fact that it may have been caused by technical malfunction, or believing the rampantly declared online statement made by terrorist group or reassessing the assumption of explosives being planted inside the plane, it can be safely assumed that an act of terror was performed and that the tragedy carries with it, an internationally- influential message that was aimed to a specific recipient.

The Director General of the Royal United Services Institute, Michael Clarke provides his personal outlook over the impetus which led to the tragedy. His view is somewhat a rebuttal to the initial speculation regarding ISIS/ISIL premature claim.

“Early reports said that the aircraft split into two and that suggests a catastrophic failure, not a mechanical failure, but that suggests perhaps an explosion on board,” Clarke posited citing from The Sun.

“It’s much more likely to have been a bomb on board rather than a missile fired from the ground,” he continued.

So, What Happens Now?

Flight recorders were collected and now taken to Cairo for further investigation as Egyptian officials have been chosen to lead the investigation. The probe on the case nonetheless, still entails the help of Russian specialists and experts from other nations.

The Russian Emergency Ministries crew has set up a camp near the crash site. They have been conducting investigation as well as trying to identify the remaining of the victims which consequently taken to St. Petersburg.

As people all over the world mourn over those who have sparred their lives in that jet and as experts undergo probing on the case, several major carriers have diverted their planes from the route for safety reason.(Akp/Rie)