CAIRO: A militant group affiliated to Islamic State in Egypt claimed responsibility for the downing of a Russian passenger plane that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Saturday, the group said in a statement circulated by supporters on Twitter .

Egyptian security sources earlier on Saturday said early investigations suggested the plane crashed due to a technical fault.

The claim of responsibility was also carried by the Aamaq website which acts as a semi official news agency for Islamic State.

"The fighters of the Islamic State were able to down a Russian plane over Sinai province that was carrying over 220 Russian crusaders. They were all killed, thanks be to God," the statement circulated on Twitter said.

Several Egyptian military and security officials said there are no survivors from the Russian passenger plane carrying 224 people which crashed shortly after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh , a popular Red Sea tourist destination.

They also said that all the victims in Saturday's Metrojet plane crash were Russian citizens. Russian president Vladimir Putin has declared November 1 as the day of mourning.

(With inputs from agencies)

