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Russian Plane Crash Was Not a Terror Attack – Egypt

An Egyptian military helicopter flies over debris from a Russian airliner which crashed at the Hassana area in Arish city, north Egypt.

Egypt's Civil Aviation Ministry has completed a preliminary report and found no evidence that the downing of a Russian passenger plane over the Sinai Peninsula was the result of a terror attack, media reported Monday.

"The technical investigative committee has so far not found anything indicating any illegal intervention or terrorist action," the ministry said in a statement.

A Russian Airbus A321 was downed over Egypt while en route to St. Petersburg — all 224 people on board were killed.

Speculation on the cause of the crash began soon after the catastrophe, with international media, politicians and law enforcement agency representatives declaring the plane downing a terrorist act.

Two weeks after the crash, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) announced that a terror attack had caused the plane crash.

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