ISIS Magazine Posts Alleged Photo of Bomb That Destroyed Russian Plane

The new issue of the Islamic State’s magazine Dabiq contains alleged photos of the bomb that destroyed a Russian Metrojet airliner over Egypt on October 31, killing all 224 people on board.

Reuters describes the image as “a can of Schweppes Gold soft drink and what appeared to be a detonator and switch on a blue background.” ISIS claims it was able to exploit weaknesses in security at Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh airport to smuggle the bomb aboard.

The bomb photo was accompanied by a picture of what ISIS claims are passports from the slain aircraft passengers “obtained by the mujahadeen” – i.e. stolen by ISIS-affiliated terrorists in the Sinai.

According to al-Arabiya, the article in Dabiq says ISIS “initially planned to down a plane belonging to a country from the U.S.-led coalition targeting militants in Iraq and Syria,” but changed their minds and targeted the Russian plane after the Russians began bombing Syria in late September.

“The divided Crusaders of the East and West thought themselves safe in their jets as they cowardly bombarded the Muslims of the Caliphate, and so revenge was exacted upon those who felt safe in the cockpits,” said the Dabiq article, as transcribed by the Daily Star.

“A bomb was smuggled onto the airplane, leading to the deaths of 219 Russians and 5 other crusaders only a month after Russia’s thoughtless decision,” the article added.