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Group claims blame for attacks
27/08/2004 09:44 - (SA)
Moscow - A Web site known for militant Muslim comment on Friday 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 Friday's statement could not immediately be confirmed.
Russian officials have said that terrorism is among the possibilities being investigated in the Tuesday night crashes that killed 89 people. They have also suggested that human error or bad jet fuel could have been the cause.
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 organizations, including al-Qaeda.
Friday's claim did not refer to al-Qaeda, but a group called "the Islambouli Brigades of al-Qaeda" claimed responsibility for last month's attempt to assassinate Pakistan's prime minister-designate.
The statement did not give details on how the alleged attacks on the Russian planes occurred. The planes went down within minutes of each other after both had taken off from Moscow's Domodedovo airport.
"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 to extend support and victory to our Muslim brothers in Chechnya and other Muslim areas which suffer from Russian faithlessness," the statement said.
It was not clear whether the statement claimed that Chechens themselves staged attacks on the planes.
- AP
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