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Updated at 3.08pm
AN ISLAMIC STATE affiliate group has claimed responsibility for downing a Russian passenger plane in the Sinai peninsula, where the jihadists are waging an insurgency.
“The soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane in Sinai,” said the statement from the group.
Russia’s transport minister has said the claim can’t be “considered accurate”, while a spokesperson for Egypt’s military said there is “no proof at this point”.
Emergency services have reached the wreckage. They say that there are no survivors of the 224 people on board. This includes 17 children.
The plane with 214 Russian and three Ukranian passengers, and seven crew, had taken off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in the south Sinai bound for Saint Petersburg. It lost contact with air traffic control 23 minutes later.
Reuters reports that the plane split in two and landed vertically. Despite claims from IS, a security source told the agency that the crash was due to a “technical fault”.
Egyptian security and medical officials said there were no survivors from flight 7K9268, and that the bodies of the passengers and debris were spread out over an area of five square kilometres.
The Russian embassy in Cairo said:
Unfortunately, all passengers of Kogalymavia flight 9268 Sharm el-Sheikh-Saint Petersburg have died. We issue condolences to family and friends.
The Russian emergency ministry published a list of names of the passengers, ranging in age from a 10-month-old girl to a 77-year-old woman.
The Egyptian government said 15 bodies had been recovered and transferred to a morgue so far.
Although leased to a Russian airline, the plane is registered in Ireland, flying with registration number EI-ETJ.
A senior Egyptian air traffic control official said the pilot told him in their last communication that he was having trouble with the radio system. The pilot had reported his intention to attempt to land at the nearest airport.
The Airbus 321 came down in the Hassana area, roughly 100 kilometres south of the North Sinai town of El-Arish, where Egyptian forces are currently fighting an insurgency from the so-called Islamic State group.
The Russian government has sent an investigations team to the site, and declared a day of mourning. The Israeli Defence Force is also assisting with the search.
The IS affiliate, which is waging a deadly insurgency in the Sinai, claimed that “the soldiers of the caliphate succeeded in bringing down a Russian plane” there.
It said this was in revenge for Russian air strikes against militants in Syria, where IS controls territories that straddle Iraq.
Three military experts said IS in Sinai does not have surface-to-air missiles capable of hitting a plane at high altitude.
But they could not exclude the possibility of a bomb on board or a surface-to-air missile strike if the plane had descended for an emergency landing.
Egypt’s Prime Minister Sherif Ismail had canceled a visit to the city of Ismailiya and formed an operations room to follow up on the situation.
Sergei Lzvolsky, an official with the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia told Interfax news agency that the plane had departed Egypt’s Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh at 5:51 am local time (03:51 GMT).
Russia’s Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal probe into any possible violation of air safety rules, a standard procedure when air crashes involving Russian planes occur. It is also sending investigators to the scene
He said the aircraft did not make contact as expected with air traffic controllers in Cyprus, and “since then the plane has not made contact and has not appeared on radars”.
Prior to confirmation from the Egyptian prime minister, it was reported that the company operating the flight was able to confirm the flight was safely flying through Turkish airspace. It was also believed the plane may have crashed near Cyprus.
© – AFP 2015. With reporting by Nicky Ryan and The Associated Press.
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Can we please restrict protests to Irish issues only?
Protest by people from Congo yesterday ,not to mention the pro Palestine aggressive and intrusive protests every second day ,targeting other communities.. look at that act of utter hatred last night ,at those 2 last night, one of whom spat at an Israeli man. The fact that she is from The Lebanon does not matter to the rest of the world as all the articles are anti-Semitic Irish attack and spit…All these giving us a dreadful name, we were known as decent people ,but these activists at Palestinian protests most whom not from here but allowed ,act aggressive, block entry to college and places ,and streets. Our good name and country are being destroyed..
So, no more protest unless they are actually domestic issues.
@KO: Yes you are right, sure every time I hear of a country banning protests I think I must book a holiday there.
@Kevin Byrne: If only …
@KO: Haha, on another thread you will be apoplectic about some imagined free speech restriction, and yet here you are cherry picking an isolated (invented?) incident or two to try and silence vast swathes of people. From Trump crying persecution and free speech while simultaneously being the main person trying to crush it, to Zuckerberg attempting to get a book about him banned – how can anyone take the right seriously?! The hypocrisy and dishonesty is farcical.
‘Our good name and country are being destroyed’
Nope. We’re all good except for the hard n far right ghouls. There is widespread vocal support for Palestine across all sections of Irish society. You guys are the minority here. I know it’s a dirty word for you guys, but facts are facts. So we’ll keep our right to protest thank you very much!
@Kevin Byrne: You’re not even a real hamster!
@KO: you forget, this country isn’t ours anymore.
@SerotoninWars:
I’d say half of the Palestine supporters couldn’t find it in a map.
@SerotoninWars: isolated ? Pro Palestine marches and protests going on more than once a week,and plenty of aggressive and bullying incidents… Screaming,banging drums,rattles and blowing whistles,disturbing peace for shoppers, tourists and premises, antagonising others who don’t want protests..Yes people have sympathy,but don’t confuse that for support..Marching with rainbow flags chanting racial slurs, there is no support for that and turning people off having any sympathy as people see the aggression all over the world now at these protests. Not helping Palestine or making any differences.
@Regular John: Thanks to John at the back for providing the class with an example of a thought-terminating cliché. Keep up the good work!
@KO: Have you ever been on a march? I’ve never seen this widespread rainbow flag + racial slurs dynamic you speak of. I’m sure there are isolated examples. Of course there are, just like pretty much any human activity, some things that shouldn’t happen, do happen. But by and large we agree on not throwing the baby out with the bath water.
As for disturbing the peace…cities and towns are basically gigantic peace disturbing epicentres. Who hasn’t been annoyed by a gazillion things they aren’t into? Crowds off to matches, drunken supporters afterwards, concerts and the mouldy drunk element stumbling around after. Kids shrieking, music you hate being pumped out at a loud volume by every shop you walk past. That’s before we get to traffic noise and the general hustle and bustle of a city. But we put up with these things as they are widely accepted as a feature of large urban spaces. If we want peace and quiet we head to the countryside or somewhere more isolated. The right to protest is important and naturally these events will happen in large visible spaces, often areas where there are power centres and government buildings.
The annoyance at a bit of noise from protestors is nothing, absolutely nothing, on the sound of constant gunfire and bombs raining down on innocent kids. Imagine those sounds for a minute. Years of them. Sounds that often presage the death of your family and friends. A little noisy solidarity isn’t really that big of a deal, is it?
@SerotoninWars: i have to work for a living so I don’t have much time for pointless protest marches
@SerotoninWars: Give it a rest for God’s sake!
@KO:
Arabs want nothing to do with the sand pikies for a good reason.
We Irish should round them up and send them back to Jordan.
@KO: Freedom of speech, son. Succk it up. You’ve no problem exporting Irish protests to the U.S. in the form of daddy Burke – de facto convicted criminal – and brood. Tough buns, Mr Israeli and pal. Go home.
@KO: Hey ‘KO,’ did you get a chance to read the article? Are you familiar with Serbia and its context? Just to clarify, Serbia is not Palestine, and this protest was legitimate—it was reported to the Gardaí. If anyone had concerns about aggression or blockages, why weren’t those reported to the Gardaí?
@SerotoninWars:
You think you are clever. You post the greatest load of nonsense.
@H Woo: exactly ,but our welcome one and all ,and homes for them all, seem utterly clueless and ignorant to that fact ,and to the horrific news of attacks on women and children daily in other countries and more frequently ours. seem blinded by all the terror attacks throughout Europe ,slamming cars into people, the increase in knife crimes..The squashing of catholic traditions, like our church bells as offends , The Navity plays in school as offends,the live cribs at Christmas,the word Christmas..Not to mention food meat in particular. School dinners while a great initiative,the meat is all Halal ? That practice for animal cruelty is not allowed here for good reason ,yet that is what they are using. The sacraments at Catholic school are othering and want it stopped.
.
@Studentprotests: I sure did,and no doubt as advertised here and other MSM that of course all permits in place all the NGOs would ensure that. I’m well aware of the why they are protesting here and all over, and the loss of the 15 people..I know it’s not Palestine. I made that comment around 7 this am so no concerns about behaviour. My concern is just want all these protests and marches to stop prancing up and down weekly unless it is about our own domestic issues.. Congo, Bangladesh ,Palestine, Serbia, Ukraine and on and on, this is Ireland ,we have serious issues here with unvetted economic migrants, our government just left them flow in daily ,not even knowing what country they are from,if connected toT groups, have convictions etc.Contact their Embassy’s with there complaints instead
@KO: the sooner all that Catholic nonsense is ended, the better.
What war is on in Serbia that Serbs are fleeing
@Brian Molloy: To tip: people who choose to live in a country that they were not born in are not necessarily fleeing war, or a refugee
@Brian Molloy: You should demand that all Irish people living abroad return home immediately on the basis that there is no war in Ireland. In fact, it would be hypocritical of you not to do so.
@Tommy Roche: The vast majority of Irish that are living abroad are there legally, either through satisfying stringent visa requirements or through free movement with the EU/UK
Try and understand the difference.
@Thomas Sheridan: plenty of Irish in different countries on welfare, illegal. Starting with U.K. and USA.
@Thomas Sheridan: what makes you think these Serbians are illegal immigrants?
@Thomas Sheridan: tell that to the thousands of illegal irish in u.s living in fear of ice deporting them
@Alan: There are no Irish illegally in the UK because UK & Irish residents have a righr to liven in either country, although we are well represented in the welfare dept by some pseudo Irish of a certain culture.
As regards any Irish illegally in the USA – they most certainly are not on any welfare and, if they come to the notice of the state authorities, they are summarily jailed before being quickly deported with no appeal.
@Tommy Roche: I’m not worried about the Irish abroad ,I’m more worried about the Irish in Ireland who have a corrupt parasitic government running the country into the ground,health care ,crime ,housing, etc all in a diabolical situation
@Brian Molloy:
IRELAND.
In the top 20 of LEAST corrupt counties in the world.
@Brian Molloy: its so sad when people are uninformed yet comes here and commenting without having a clue what they are commenting on…
Lefty woke rent a mob at every protest/ issues except Irish people’s needs are ignored.
@Ailbhe MacThomais: Far-right mob burning down Dublin city centre and smashing up Irish businesses with their riots.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: no jew hunting today Jacinta? Gives you time to complain about the “far-right” I guess, this temporary reprieve you’re enjoying from hunting jews. If you had the wit to understand irony you’d probably be embarrassed by your behaviour.
@George Bowling: On the coke again George!? :)
@Jacintha Dumbrell: your life is so pathetic it’s sad to even witness. Unemployed, childless, unloved, clinging to some nonsense politics in lieu of a personality. You’re just pitiful.
@George Bowling: Not enough dead Palestinian kids for you recently? Must make you really sad
@Jacintha Dumbrell: “You have chosen to mute George Bowling comments”. Works great for the other congenital loosers too.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: if a migrant that was due to be deported but the woke waste lefty judiciary and the political establishment via the ngo brigade didnt do their jobs that caused young innocent children to be stabbed children the riots wouldn’t have taken place.
Go back from whence you came and protest., stop costing your host country.
@BRENDAN O’CONNELL: Immigrants contribute far more to Irish society in work and taxes than Irish racists who are a drain on the country, never forget the Dublin riots and cost of replacing Garda cars, public transport, the clean up afterwards, and the money lost by buisnesses through theft and drop in footfall aftwewards, this is just one example.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: Never forget what caused the Dublin riots. A foreign national intentionally stabbing and attempting to kill Irish children.
That despicable human in this country because of our far left liberal ideology did far more damage than anyone involved in the riots.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: you are very obviously terminally unemployed. You seem to live on this site. Yet you have the gall to talk about who contributes to Irish society. You are a parasite, in any other period in history you would have starved to death as a result of your uselessness and idleness. Get a job.
Ooh, the racist tears are extra salty today, yum!
@BRENDAN O’CONNELL: it’s time to lay of watching LOTR on repeat….
@JagTune: what caused Riots was white Irish scunbags in Canada Goose, all living in social housing or hostels, out robbing and burning property.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: a good chunk of the people charged with rioting were non irish. Just saying.
Why are they protesting here they should go back and protest in their own country
They are too busy supporting their Ruzzian brethan most of the time. Serbs and Ruzzians no different
Didn’t know Serbia was in the EU
@You Cant Be Serious: it isn’t. If English was your first language you could have read the article and learned that fact.
@Treasa The Tesla Takedown Tranny: and sarcasm is not your forte
This isn’t Serbia
@Richie Whelan: we are an easy touch
@Richie Whelan: Freedom of speech pisss you off much?
@Richie Whelan: The protest was reported to the Gardaí, making it entirely legitimate and conducted without harm to anyone. Believe it or not, many of the participants have dual citizenship, so they are Irish too. Spread love, not hate, dear Richie!
@Studentprotests: typical
@Studentprotests: so they obviously support irish gov policy on Ukraine then?
We voice our OP on the journal and if they are some what controversial or against the government grain we are censored and just cut out.
The “president of peace” has just started WWIII in Yemen!
The only city I have observed who protest and it has an effect is Paris France, the government heeds them and capitulates, as for foreign countries protesting in any foreign country but there own, it’s a waste of time.
@Phillip Smyth: Do you have any proof for that, other than just your observation, Phillip?
@Studentprotests: observation and chronicles.
Suddenly want to watch Hostel :P
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