Special to WorldTribune.com

The remains of victims from the Russian commercial airliner that crashed in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Oct. 31 suggest an on-board explosion, according to reports on Nov. 2.

“The large number of separate body fragments could indicate that a strong explosion occurred onboard before the aircraft hit the ground,” and Egyptian medical official told Russia’s state news agency RIA Novosti.

Moscow has said an investigation of the fuselage at the crash site indicated a mid-air explosion. Russia also is no longer ruling out the possibility ISIL was involved.

Aviation analysts are now leaning toward an in-flight explosion after satellite imagery reportedly picked up a heat flash at the point where the Airbus A-321 crashed.

“The speculation that this plane was brought down by a missile is off the table,” a U.S. official told NBC News, adding that the possibility the explosion was fueled by an on-board terror attack has not been ruled out.

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) claims to have shot down the plane with a missile, but analysts said that was unlikely given the plane was at an altitude of 31,000 feet when it disappeared from radar screens.

Russian, meanwhile, has backed off its initial assessment that the Russian Metrojet plane crashed as a result of pilot error or technical failure.

  Airbus A-321, ISIL, Moscow no longer ruling out ISIL involvement in airliner crash, Sinai Peninsula, WorldTribune.com