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| Russia plane crash: Egypt launches inquiry into bomb claims | Russia plane crash: Egypt launches inquiry into bomb claims |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| Egypt has launched its own inquiry into whether a bomb may have been placed on the Russian airliner that crashed in Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. | Egypt has launched its own inquiry into whether a bomb may have been placed on the Russian airliner that crashed in Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. |
| A senior Egyptian official - who asked not to be named - told the BBC that every lead was now being followed up. | A senior Egyptian official - who asked not to be named - told the BBC that every lead was now being followed up. |
| However, Egypt stresses that the official investigation into the crash of the Airbus 321 is not yet finished. | However, Egypt stresses that the official investigation into the crash of the Airbus 321 is not yet finished. |
| Some Western experts have suggested militants in the Sinai peninsula could have bombed the plane on 31 October. | Some Western experts have suggested militants in the Sinai peninsula could have bombed the plane on 31 October. |
| Sinai Province, a group affiliated to Islamic State has repeatedly claimed it brought down Metrojet Flight 9268, flying from the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to the Russian city of St Petersburg. | |
| The UK halted flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh last Wednesday, citing intelligence concerns. | The UK halted flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh last Wednesday, citing intelligence concerns. |
| Russia - who initially criticised London's move - later announced it was stopping all flights to Egypt and flying some 80,000 Russian holidaymakers back home. Most of the victims on board the Metrojet airliner were Russian nationals. | |
| Meanwhile, Egyptian officials said on Monday that Ashraf Gharabli, a leader of Sinai Province, had died in a shootout in Cairo after security forces tried to arrest him. | |
| Western officials say there is a strong possibility that a bomb exploded on the plane, though there has been no indication that Gharabli himself was involved. | |
| In search for answers, British ties to Egypt take a hit | In search for answers, British ties to Egypt take a hit |
| Airport security rethink 'may be needed' | Airport security rethink 'may be needed' |
| Could Islamic State have bombed Flight 9268? | Could Islamic State have bombed Flight 9268? |
| What we know about the Sinai crash | What we know about the Sinai crash |
| 'Any price' | 'Any price' |
| On Monday, an Egyptian official told the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner that the country's intelligence service was looking into every possibility of how someone could have placed a bomb inside the luggage compartment of the plane. | On Monday, an Egyptian official told the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner that the country's intelligence service was looking into every possibility of how someone could have placed a bomb inside the luggage compartment of the plane. |
| The official said this included going through CCTV footage from the airport's baggage area, which had not yet revealed anything suspicious, and questioning employees. | The official said this included going through CCTV footage from the airport's baggage area, which had not yet revealed anything suspicious, and questioning employees. |
| Western counter-terrorism experts suspect that jihadists were able to penetrate airport security to target the plane, and there is a belief that Islamic State's affiliate in Sinai may have been able to bribe an airport employee, our correspondent says. | Western counter-terrorism experts suspect that jihadists were able to penetrate airport security to target the plane, and there is a belief that Islamic State's affiliate in Sinai may have been able to bribe an airport employee, our correspondent says. |
| But the Egyptian official said foreign airliners at Sharm el-Sheikh airport were never boarded by Egyptian personnel unless requested by the airline. | But the Egyptian official said foreign airliners at Sharm el-Sheikh airport were never boarded by Egyptian personnel unless requested by the airline. |
| He added that before the crash only 20-30% of airport employees were searched - but that figure had now been raised to 100%, with workers being screened both on entry and exit. | He added that before the crash only 20-30% of airport employees were searched - but that figure had now been raised to 100%, with workers being screened both on entry and exit. |
| Cars were being stopped half-a-mile (1km) from the terminal and checked for any explosive traces, he said, and planes on the runway were being guarded around the clock by a cordon of Egyptian military and security personnel. | Cars were being stopped half-a-mile (1km) from the terminal and checked for any explosive traces, he said, and planes on the runway were being guarded around the clock by a cordon of Egyptian military and security personnel. |
| "We are willing to pay any price to eliminate any repeat of this." the official said. | "We are willing to pay any price to eliminate any repeat of this." the official said. |
| He also added that Britain had still not shared its intelligence with Egypt on the suspected bombing, which was causing considerable tensions between London and Cairo. | He also added that Britain had still not shared its intelligence with Egypt on the suspected bombing, which was causing considerable tensions between London and Cairo. |
| An Egyptian member of the international team investigating the crash last week told Reuters that they were "90% sure" that a sound heard in the last moments of the recording of the plane's cockpit voice recorder was an explosion caused by a bomb. | An Egyptian member of the international team investigating the crash last week told Reuters that they were "90% sure" that a sound heard in the last moments of the recording of the plane's cockpit voice recorder was an explosion caused by a bomb. |
| The plane is believed to have broken up in mid-air. | The plane is believed to have broken up in mid-air. |
| Sinai Province militants | Sinai Province militants |
| Sinai Province: Egypt's most dangerous militant group | Sinai Province: Egypt's most dangerous militant group |
| Guide to Sinai's active militant groups | Guide to Sinai's active militant groups |
| How is a plane crash investigated? | How is a plane crash investigated? |