Somalia Plane Explosion ‘Likely' Caused by Bomb: Officials

A bomb appears to have caused the explosion that forced a Somali plane to make an emergency landing shortly after it took off Tuesday, NBC News has learned.

"It is likely this was a bomb attack," a high-ranking diplomat with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday, a notion echoed by the head of Daallo Airlines, who told The Associated Press investigators found explosive residue but that findings won't be released for several more days.

The Airbus A 321 had only climbed to an elevation of 12,000 to 14,000 feet when the blast rocked the plane minutes after it took off from Mogadishu International Airport. A passenger was blown out of the plane and identified as Abdullahi Abdisalam Borleh, 55

So far, no terrorist group have claimed credit for the blast.

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