Turkish radical militants loyal to the Islamic State are possibly behind the downing of a Russian passenger plane in Sharm el-Sheikh last October, Russian Sputnik news agency reported Monday, quoting a report by online daily Kommersant.
"The FSB believes that the Turkish radical nationalist organization Grey Wolves, linked to the Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist group and operating in many Arab countries, including Egypt, could have been linked to the explosion of the Russian airliner," Kommersant reported, citing a source at the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
“Grey Wolves, which emerged in Turkey in late 60s, participated in combat operations in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya, organizing transfer of weapons into the region,” Sputnik quoted the newspaper as identifying the group.
Egypt is still investigating the perpetrators behind the Airbus A321 crash, which occurred following the plane’s departure from the resort city to St. Petersberg, and still declines to confirm the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility until the investigation has concluded.
Russia and other Western countries halted flights to the city following the catastrophe, adding to the woes of Egypt’s struggling tourism sector.
