The Sunday Express has published the startling claim that London and Birmingham accents were picked up by intelligence services, celebrating just moments after the Sharm el-Sheikh attack on a Russian airliner.

ISIS Sinai, an Islamist group which recently gained official affiliation with the Islamic State, immediately claimed responsibility. Now, questions are being raised as to the terrorists involved with the atrocity, with the Express quoting sources in the intelligence community.

From the Express:

They were overheard celebrating moments after the explosion that blew the plane apart, killing all 224 on board.

The jihadis were heard talking in Birmingham and London accents by spies at GCHQ in Cheltenham.

Trained in Syria and with an electronics background, it is believed they may have had a hand in building the bomb.

The success of the attack could inspire them to target British airports next, a former Special Branch officer warned last night.

GCHQ, the Government’s secret listening centre, picked up “chatter” from extremist groups in Egypt immediately after the Russian plane came down.

The regional accents suggest “a definite and strong link” between British extremists and the attack, according to intelligence sources.

“Jihadis in the Sinai area of Egypt could be heard celebrating,” one source said yesterday.

“A closer analysis of that material has identified London and Birmingham accents among those numerous voices.

“There has also been some internet traffic suggesting that there was British involvement in the attack. This was a very sophisticated, carefully planned operation involving many moving parts.

“We know there are British jihadis in Egypt fighting with members of Islamic State. They were trained in Syria and are now hardened terrorists. Some of the Britons have an electronics background and have been developing some very sophisticated bombs.

“They have been experimenting with different-sized charges and different types of explosives but there was nothing prior to this attack to suggest that they were going after airlines.” 

The choice of a Russian airliner is thought to have been a deliberate attempt to goad President Vladmir Putin.

But the terrorists could now switch their attention back home.

Read more in the Sunday Express.