US officials said on Friday that intercepted intelligence "chatter" supports the theory that a bomb brought down the Russian jet that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula last weekend.
Both the US officials and officials in Europe cautioned, however, that conclusive forensic evidence that the plane was brought down by a bomb was still lacking and that a possible mechanical failure had not been ruled out.
One source said there was conflicting intelligence reporting as to where a bomb may have been placed on the plane.
