The Egyptian Cabinet is preparing an official statement after Russia declared on Tuesday that an IED planted by terrorists was behind the downing of Russian airliner Metrojet near Sharm el-Sheikh on October 31, according to satellite TV channel CBC.
After weeks of speculation on the results of investigations in the deadly crash that killed more than 200 people, Russia officially declared that it was confident the catastrophe was the result of a terrorist operation. The Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the incident, but observers had initially ruled out the seriousness of the claim.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that two employees from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport were arrested, after Russia’s announcement, for their suspected involvement in facilitating the explosion of the airplane, but the Egyptian Interior Ministry has denied the claim. The feasibility of security measures at the airport has been scrutinized since the crash occurred.
"We will search for them anywhere they might hide. We will find them in any part of the world and punish them," Putin said in statements reported by AFP on Tuesday, referring to those responsible for the crash.
As of yet, there is no official Egyptian reaction to Russia’s finding, but some public figures have already responded to the declaration.
“Russia should review its accusations and provide evidence, what does it mean to chase terrorist suspects everywhere,” Mostafa Bakry, a recently elected parliamentary candidate and journalist close to the Egyptian presidency, wrote on Twitter.
But another lawyer and media figure welcomed Putin’s statement.
“Russia’s declaration that it was going to chase perpetrators in the airplane’s explosion should be welcomed, we should be ready to cooperate with it to reach the culprits,” tweeted Khaled Abu Bakr. “We have to identify the responsibility behind that incident transparently and declare it to the whole world; the whole world is within the reach of terrorism.”
Amr Abdel Hamid, a TV presenter, also demanded the government speak openly about the reasons behind the plane crash. “Again, we are asking for straightforwardness. Burying our heads in the sand will not solve the problem,” he wrote on Twitter.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
