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British defense secretary discusses Sinai air crash with Egyptian president

Xinhua, November 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon on Friday met with visiting Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi here to discuss the security situation in the Middle East.

"The meeting today between Michael Fallon and the Egyptian President allowed the leaders to discuss shared security concerns and thoughts on defeating terrorism and countering extremism in the region, particularly in light of the Sinai air crash," the ministry of defense (MoD) said in a statement.

An Airbus A-321 operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia, with 217 passengers, most of whom were Russians, and seven crew members on board, crashed Saturday in the Sinai Peninsula shortly after it took off from Egypt's Red Sea Resort Sharm el-Sheikh.

Britain has begun an operation to bring back British tourists stranded in Sharm el-Sheikh amid fears that the Russian plane crash was caused by a bomb, allegedly set off by Islamic State sympathizers.

"As the UK takes steps necessary to ensure the safety of British citizens, a small team of military personnel has been sent to Egypt to work with cross-government colleagues to make an assessment of the security arrangements in place at Sharm el-Sheikh airport," the statement noted.

Fallon pledged to offer further support to Egypt's counter-explosive training capabilities, including having discussions around electronic counter measures and detection equipment.

"The UK is committed to standing shoulder to shoulder with Egypt as we fight for a more secure future for the Middle East," Fallon said.

Britain plans to form a small military operations team in Egypt "to better understand Libyan and regional security issues, according to the MoD.

"Countering extremism remains a top priority for the UK government and this small joint team will share ideas on countering ISIL in Libya," said the MoD statement.

On Thursday, British Prime Minister David Cameron held talks with President al-Sisi in London and the two sides agreed on "a package of additional security measures that is being put in place rapidly," 10 Downing Street said.

The British government advised its nationals in Sharm to check with their airline or tour operator on their travel plans. Endit