CAIRO, Feb 10 (Aswat Masriya) -  Four Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden lifted travel restrictions on Dahab, Sharm al-Sheikh and St. Catherine in South Sinai, according to statements published on Thursday and Friday.

The change took effect as of Thursday, Feb 9.

The four countries still advise against non-essential travel to the rest of South Sinai.

Several countries changed their travel advice to these areas after the crash of a Russian airliner in the Sinai Peninsula in October 2015, killing all 224 people on board. The plane was heading from the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg in Russia. 

Egypt’s most active militant group in North Sinai known as Sinai Province, affiliated with Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, claimed responsibility for downing the plane in two separate statements.