We downed Russian planes: Militant Muslim group

A website known for militant Muslim comment today published a claim of responsibility for the crashes of two Russian airliners, connecting the action to Russia’s fight against separatists in Chechnya.

The statement was signed “the Islambouli Brigades”.

A group with a similar name has claimed responsibility for at least one other attack, but the authenticity of today’s statement could not immediately be confirmed.

“Russia’s slaughtering of Muslims is continuing and will only stop when a bloody war is launched,” the statement said.

“Our mujahedeen, with God’s grace, succeeded in directing the first blow which will be followed by a series of other operations in a wave of to extend support and victory to our Muslim brothers in Chechnya and other Muslim areas which suffer from Russian faithlessness.”

Russian officials have said that terrorism is among the possibilities being investigated in the Tuesday night crashes that killed 89 people.

The planes went down within minutes of each other after both had taken off from Moscow’s Domodedovo airport.

A spokesman for the Federal Security Service said he could not immediately comment on the web site’s statement.

Russian officials have repeatedly contended that the rebels who have been fighting Russian forces in Chechnya for nearly five years receive help from foreign terrorist organisations, including al-Qaida.

Today’s claim did not refer to al-Qaida, but a group called “the Islambouli Brigades of al-Qaida” claimed responsibility for last month’s attempt to assassinate Pakistan’s prime minister-designate.

The statement said: “We in the Islambouli Brigades announce that our holy warriors managed to hijack two Russian planes and were crowned with success though they faced problems at the beginning.”

Today’s statement said five mujahedeen were on board each plane and their wills will be published soon.

The statement did not explain how the hijackers boarded the planes, how they downed them or give any other details.

Khaled Islambouli was the leader of the group of soldiers who assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat during a military parade in Cairo in 1981.