ASTANA – “Kazakhstan strongly condemns the act of terrorism perpetrated on board the Russian A321 passenger plane of Kogalymavia Airlines flying from Sharm el-Sheikh to Saint Petersburg on Oct. 31, 2015,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan said in a Nov. 17 statement.
“Kazakhstan expresses its support for collective efforts in countering the global threat of terrorism in accordance with norms of international law and confirms its readiness for a zero-tolerance fight against this international scourge,” the Foreign Ministry said.
“We reiterate our deep condolences to the families of the victims as well as to the people and the government of Russia,” the statement also noted.
As has now been confirmed by Russian authorities, an act of terror brought down the Russian A321 airliner in Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board. Nearly all the dead were Russians.
“Traces of foreign explosives were found on debris from the Airbus plane,” FSB (Federal Security Service of Russia) Chief Alexander Bortnikov informed Russian President Vladimir Putin Nov.17, the Kremlin website reported.
According to the Kremlin, Bortnikov said that a bomb with an equivalent of 1 kilogramme of TNT had been planted on the plane. The bomb shattered the plane mid-air, which explains the wide dispersal of fuselage pieces.
