Around 900,000 Britons travel to Egypt every year and at least two flights had been due to leave Sharm el-Sheikh for British airports later on Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, rescue teams in Egypt combed the Sinai desert for more remains and parts of the plane’s fuselage as grief-stricken Russian families in St. Petersburg faced an agonizing wait to bury their loved ones.
USA officials stressed that while it’s likely that a bomb was on the plane, it’s still too early to conclude for that for certain.
But Western officials are indicating an onboard explosion might be responsible for the crash – which is the last thing Russian and Egyptian authorities want to hear.
USA officials point to ISIS chatter in the Sinai Peninsula after the crash as indications of the terror group’s possible involvement.
Monday the U.S. Embassy in Cairo issued a warning instructing its employees not to travel anywhere in the Sinai Peninsula pending the outcome of the investigation into the crash.
This is a hugely embarrassing moment for the Egyptian authorities but, if it is proven that a bomb was on board the plane, they also face troubling questions about their ability to maintain security in the midst of significant threats.
“When there is propaganda that it crashed because of Isis [IS], this is one way to damage the stability and security of Egypt and the image of Egypt”, he said.
Russia’s Interfax news service, citing a source in the investigation, said Tuesday that there were no signs of a malfunction with the plane and that the pilots were chatting normally with air-traffic controllers until four minutes before an “emergency situation occurred on board unexpectedly”. “But there is intelligence suggesting an assist from someone at the airport”.
Earnest said the US government has a “heightened” awareness of the risk that ISIS or other extremists could have taken down a commercial jet.
The message, thought to be the voice of a Abu Osama Al-Masri, confirms the claim of responsibility that was made on Saturday, saying “we downed it so die in your rage”. The plane’s black boxes are still being analyzed. “Die with your rage. And God willing, one day we will reveal how, at the time we desire”.
NBC News’ terrorism intelligence partner, Flashpoint Global, said “it is unlikely that [ISIS] has the ability to have targeted and downed the airliner”, noting that the group continues to release publicity about the incident without providing any video of its actually targeting the airliner. To a few, the fact they haven’t in this case raises doubts about their claim.
Security analysts claim that the Islamic terrorist group could have been behind the incident.
The United Kingdom and Ireland has suspended all flights from Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, according to the Associated Press.
However, Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry told the BBC the decision was “a premature and unwarranted statement” which risked harming the country’s much needed tourism industry.
“This is a desire that we equally share”, he told CNN shortly after the British government’s announcement.
Investigations are still ongoing, and the officials are yet to confirm whether the accident was caused by a bomb or whether the aircraft had a flaw. The news was not welcomed by British tourists.
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“People have been shouting at officials”, said Sarah Cotterill, who was supposed to fly out of Sharm el-Sheikh Wednesday evening with her sister and their five children. I don’t know where.
