US Intel Suspects ISIS Behind Russian Plane Crash

The Russian plane that crashed in Egypt Saturday after taking off from the resort of Sharm al-Sheikh might have been brought down by an explosive device planted by ISIS or an ISIS affiliate, according to U.S. intelligence officials.

Wednesday the British government expressed similar concerns.

"While the investigation is still ongoing we cannot say categorically why the Russian jet crashed," U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron's office said in a written statement. "But as more information has come to light we have become concerned that the plane may well have been brought down by an explosive device."

Click play to watch CBN's Terrorism Analyst Erick Stakelbeck, Chief International Reporter Gary Lane, and Senior International Reporter George Thomas discuss the implications of this event.

The U.K. government has suspended all flights to the Sinai to allow investigators to examine the security conditions at the Sharm al-Sheikh International Airport.

"We would underline that this is a precautionary step and we are working closely with the airlines on this approach," said a spokesman from Cameron's office.

Meanwhile, an affiliate of the Islamic State in Egypt claimed responsibility again for the plane crash. 

Russian officials have refrained from announcing the cause of the crash, citing the ongoing investigation.

"The investigation group is continuing to work on the air crash area," Vladimir Puchkov, Russia's emergency situations minister, said. "We've expanded the search area to 40 square kilometers. And I ask people to organize a thorough examination of the whole territory."

The Russian jet crashed over the Sinai Peninsula early on Saturday heading from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, killing all 224 people on board. The overwhelming majority of the passengers were Russian holiday makers flying home.

"Forensic examination of personal belongings delivered by the Emergency Ministry is being held," Russian Deputy Health Minister Igor Kagramanyan said. "Samples of biological materials are being taken from those who died and from their relatives. Those materials have already been delivered to Moscow."

Investigators are studying sand from the crash site for signs of a bomb attack.

"The third stage of the search operation is continuing, with additional examination of parts of the plane fuselage in difficult terrain," explained Aleksei Smirnov, acting head of the Russian National Centre for Crisis Management at the Emergency Situations Ministry. "The photographic documentation of the aircraft wreckage is nearly completed."