FSB chief: Terrorists may have been behind EgyptAir crash

FSB chief: Terrorists may have been behind EgyptAir crash

According to Aleksandr Bortnikov, 66 people from 12 countries aboard the plane most likely died as a result of a terrorist act.

Speaking during a meeting of heads of security and special services of CIS member countries, Bortnikov called on "all interested parties, including our partners in Europe, to take joint measures to identify persons involved in this terrible attack."

He added that FSB agents, in cooperation with Kazakh intelligence officers, had foiled a plan of a terrorist group to carry out attacks similar to those in Paris in "major cities in Russia."

The cause of the crash of the EgyptAir plane was still unknown on Thursday afternoon, but officials of France, Greece and Egypt did not rule out terrorism.

French newspaper Figaro reported that French authorities focused their investigation on the staff to of the Charles de Gaulle Airport to determine whether any of them represented a "security risk."

The possibility that the crash was caused by a terrorist attack has also been mentioned by experts, who pointed out that in the event of technical problems, the crew would have had time to react and send signals to flight control.

EgyptAir confirmed earlier on its Twitter account that its flight MS804 with 56 passengers and ten crew was missing after it entered Egyptian airspace.

The Airbus A320 was flown by an experienced pilot with over 6,000 hours in the air, and a copilot with 2,700, it has been said.

The carrier said there were citizens of Egypt, France, Iraq, Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Chad, Portugal, Algeria, and Canada on board the plane.

According to reports earlier in the day, quoting Egyptian officials, the plane most likely crashed into the sea.