Explosives 'in both Russian jets'

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 From the BBC  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3607886.stm

Traces of explosive have now been found in the wreckage of both passenger
jets which crashed earlier this week, Russian investigators say.

The two Tupolev airliners crashed almost simultaneously on Tuesday in
southern Russia, hundreds of miles apart, killing 89 passengers and crew.

The FSB security service had already announced the discovery of traces of
hexogen among the remains of one jet.

Now it says the explosive has been found in the remains of the other.

After finding explosives traces on one plane, a Sibir Airlines Tu-154, on
Friday, Russian officials described what had happened as a terrorist attack.

They also said the pilot had sent out a hijack alert just before the plane
crashed, Russian media report.

FSB spokesman Sergei Ignachenko said on Saturday: "Additional examination
of the fragments of the Tu-134 aircraft which crashed on Tuesday... has
revealed traces of hexogen."

Women suspects

The two airliners took off within minutes of each other from Domodedovo
airport in Moscow.

Reports say investigations are focusing on two women passengers, believed
to be from the restive territory of Chechnya, where presidential elections
are being held on Sunday.

Investigators say no-one has come forward to claim the women's bodies.

Officials had warned that Chechen separatist rebels could resort to
terrorism to try to undermine Sunday's voting.

Several suicide bombings in recent years have been blamed on Chechen women
who lost husbands or brothers in the war and chaos in the southern republic
over the past decade.

An Islamic group has claimed responsibility for the crashes in a website
statement.

A previously unknown group called the Islambouli Brigades said it had five
people on board each aircraft. It warned this act would be followed by
others "until the killings of our Muslim brothers in Chechnya cease".

Russian officials have repeatedly contended that the rebels, who have been
fighting Russian forces in Chechnya for nearly five years, receive help
from foreign organisations, including al-Qaeda.

Hexogen, more widely known as RDX, was identified as the explosive in a
series of apartment building bombings that killed some 300 people in Moscow
and other cities in 1999, and that were blamed on Chechen separatists.

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