Israeli Military Says Ready to Help Egypt With Crashed Russian Plane

Jerusalem: The Israeli military said today it had offered its help to Egypt and Russia after a Russian airliner carrying 224 passengers and crew crashed in the Sinai peninsula.

"Since this morning the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) assisted with aerial surveillance in the efforts to locate the Russian airplane that lost contact over the Sinai Peninsula. The IDF has offered continued assistance to both Russia and Egypt if required," a military statement said.

The Airbus A-321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia with registration number KGL-9268, was flying from the Sinai Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St Petersburg in Russia when it went down in a desolate mountainous area of central Sinai soon after daybreak, the Egyptian aviation ministry said.

The plane was completely destroyed and all those on board are likely to have died, an Egyptian security officer who arrived at the scene told Reuters by telephone.

Israel's border with neighbouring Egypt runs along the Sinai. The two countries signed a peace accord in 1979.