Russia confirmed for the first time Tuesday that a homemade bomb brought down a Russian passenger plane over Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31, killing all 224 people on board. The Kremlin responded immediately by vowing vengeance and escalating attacks against the Islamic State group in Syria.
At a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia's security chief Alexander Bortnikov said that traces of explosives found in the wreckage of the Metrojet Airbus A321 indicated that an improvised explosive device had been detonated onboard the jet, which was full of tourists. He added that the bomb had a force equivalent to three pounds of TNT.
"We can say conclusively that this was a terrorist act," Bortnikov said, according to The Washington Post.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though no additional evidence supports that assertion.
"It is not the first time that Russia confronts barbaric terrorist crimes," Putin said in a meeting with his security team, according to AFP. "We will search for them anywhere they might hide. We will find them anywhere on the planet and punish them. The murder of our people in Sinai is among the bloodiest crimes in terms of victims. We will not wipe away the tears from our soul and hearts. This will stay with us forever but will not stop us finding and punishing the criminals."
Russia's security agency, FSB, quickly announced a $50 million bounty for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
Russian media is reporting that security officers believe the bomb was likely planted inside the hold of the plane by baggage handler working at the Sharm el-Sheikh airport. Egypt has detained two airport employees for questioning, and suspects they helped whoever planted the bomb, according to Reuters.
In response to the attack, Russia has doubled the number of airstrikes against the Islamic State group and other terrorist groups in Syria, deploying cruise missiles and long-range bombers flying from Russia, according to The New York Times.
"The combat work of our aviation in Syria must not only be continued. It must be intensified so that the criminals understand that vengeance is inevitable," Putin said.
Putin and French leader François Hollande also spoke over the phone and agreed to work "as allies" and "ensure closer contact and coordination" between their armies and security services in Syria as well as in the Mediterranean, reports AFP.
The Islamic State group also claimed responsibility for a spree of deadly attacks in Paris on Friday, which killed at least 129 people and left over 350 more wounded.
