Trump: EgyptAir disappearance a likely 'terrorist attack'

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Thursday that the crash of an EgyptAir passenger jet appeared to be "yet another terrorist attack," noting that the flight departed from Paris.

The Cairo-bound Airbus A320 was flying at 37,000 feet (11,000 meters) when it disappeared from radar about 130 nautical miles off the Greek island of Karpathos.

"Looks like yet another terrorist attack. Airplane departed from Paris," Trump posted on Twitter.

"When will we get tough, smart and vigilant? Great hate and sickness!"

The billionaire real estate mogul's tweet came at 1027 GMT, shortly after reports quoting experts who said a terrorist attack was a likely scenario for the disappearance, but about three hours before Egypt's aviation minister Sherif Fathy told reporters that terrorism was a possibility.

Trump routinely calls for tougher measures to crack down on "radical Islamic terrorism."

He has used France as an example of European governments' apparent inability to contain the jihadist threat. Following November's deadly terror strikes in Paris, Trump said the city was "under tremendous siege" and had lawless, "radicalized" neighborhoods.

"I have people that have friends living in Paris. They want to leave, they're petrified," he said on December 8.

National security is a prominent issue in the 2016 US presidential campaign, with Trump saying President Barack Obama's administration has facilitated extremism by showing a lack of international leadership.