‘Terrorist act’ caused plane crash, Russia says

President Putin vows reprisal after homemade bomb downed passenger flight

MOSCOW— A sombre President Vladimir Putin vowed to hunt down and punish those responsible for a bomb that brought down a Russian passenger jet last month, “wherever they are hiding.” Russia intensified airstrikes Tuesday as it hit the Islamic State group’s stronghold in Syria, a location also being bombed by the French military.

Russia’s FSB security service confirmed for the first time that a homemade bomb caused the Oct. 31 crash of the Metrojet Airbus 321-200 in Egypt’s Sinai Desert and killed all 224 people aboard in what it called “a terrorist act.”

Islamic State had already claimed responsibility, saying it was punishing Moscow for its air campaign in Syria.

With Russia striking Islamic State targets in reprisal for the Metrojet downing, France hitting militants in response to the attacks on civilians in Paris last week and the continuing U.S.-led coalition bombings, the extremists were facing a stepped-up assault from three military powers.

But the Kremlin said it was too soon to call it a de facto alliance.

Putin heard the report on the Metrojet bombing at a late-night meeting of his security advisers in the Kremlin.

An unusually subdued Putin called it “one of the bloodiest crimes,” and promised retribution for “the murder of our people in Sinai.

“We will not wipe away the tears from our souls and our hearts. This will stay with us forever,” he said.

The FSB offered a $50-million reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible, and Putin said Russia would be relentless in its pursuit of them.

“We will find them in any place on Earth and punish them,” he said.

FSB head Alexander Bortnikov said a bomb containing the equivalent of one kilogram of TNT went off aboard the Airbus, causing it to break apart in the air, which explains why the fuselage was scattered over such a large territory.

“I can certainly say that this was a terrorist act,” Bortnikov said.

He said tests showed the explosives had been produced outside Russia, but gave no other details.

Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail said his government was informed on Tuesday of the results of the Russian investigation, and he shied away from endorsing the conclusion a bomb was to blame.

Aviation Minister Hossam Kamal, meanwhile, sought to cast doubt on the Russian declaration, saying the technical probe into the crash by experts from Egypt, Russia, France and Ireland had not concluded.

Egyptian authorities opened an investigation into a possible security breach or infiltration by militants of the Sharm el-Sheikh airport staff, security officials said. Sharm el-Sheikh was particularly popular with Russian tourists, who in 2014, accounted for nearly a third of the nearly 10 million visitors to Egypt.

The investigation has focused on baggage-handlers, their security supervisors and personnel involved in aircraft catering, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case.

Russia has suspended all flights to Egypt, and it has also has banned Egypt’s national carrier from flying to Russia.