Off the wire
• Senior legislators vow to work for China's development goal  • Urgent: Black box of crashed Russian plane found: Egyptian PM  • Tibetan cultural exchange delegation visits Britain  • Russia's Maria wins Women's Vault Final at gymnatics worlds  • Urgent: Four gymnasts share women's uneven bars title at gymnastics worlds  • Refugee woman from Afghanistan dies in Croatia  • China starts new inspection targeting Party, financial organs  • Results of men's floor final at gymnatics worlds  • Communist party leader elected as Nepal's vice president  • Xinhua world news summary at 1545 GMT, Oct. 31  
You are here: 　 Home

Ban Ki-moon condemns "in strongest terms" alleged attack on Russian plane

Xinhua, November 1, 2015 Adjust font size:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday condemned the alleged attack on a Russian plane in "the strongest terms" and voiced his deep sadness for the victims of the crash in Egypt's Sinai earlier the day.

Ban told a group of journalists here Saturday afternoon that he has received the report that the Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the crash of a Russian plane, saying it is a complete crime to target civilian airlines and a full investigation should be carried out as soon as possible.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my deep condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims and countries concerned," Ban said after a joint press conference with the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Peter Maurer in an unprecedented joint call in wake of the world's humanitarian crises here in Geneva.

The Islamic State on Saturday claimed responsibility for the crash of a Russian plane earlier the day in Egypt's Sinai, which killed more than 200 people on board.

The Sinai-based group "Sinai State" that had announced loyalty to the IS said in a statement posted on Twitter that its militants managed to target the Russian plane and killed all its passengers, in revenge for Russia's military operations in Syria. Endit