Wikipedia

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM; Arabic: أنصار بيت المقدس, romanized: Anṣār Bayt al-Maqdis, lit. 'Supporters of the Holy House'[10]), or Ansar Al-Quds[11] (lit. 'Supporters of Jerusalem'), was an Islamist jihadist, extremist terrorist group based in the Sinai Peninsula from 2011 to 2014.

Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (ABM)
أنصار بيت المقدس
LeadersWaleed Waked (POW)[1]
Ibrahim Mohamed Freg †[2]
Shadi el-Manaei[3]
Dates of operation2011–10 November 2014[4]
HeadquartersSinai Peninsula
Active regions Egypt
 Gaza Strip[5][6]
Ideology
Islamic Statism (since 2014)
Size1,000[7]–2,000[8] (before merger with ISIL)
Allies Al-Qaeda (formerly until 2014)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (present 2014)[9]
Opponents Egypt
 Israel[6]
 Palestine
 Syria
Muslim Brotherhood
Al-Mourabitoun (Egypt)
Al-Qaeda (from 2014)
Battles and warsSinai insurgency
Succeeded by
Wilayat Sinai (in Sinai)
Sheikh Omar Hadid Brigade (in Gaza)

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis was affiliated linked with al-Qaeda. It operated in Sinai, focusing its efforts on Egypt and the gas pipeline to Jordan, with a handful attacks directed at Israel. In mid-2013, it began a campaign of attacks on Egyptian security forces, and in November 2014 pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[4] Most of the group became a branch of ISIL, renaming itself ISIL-Sinai Province.

Overview

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ABM emerged from a number of indigenous Salafi jihadist groups in the Sinai Peninsula. Some of these groups had ties to Salafi jihadis in Gaza.[12]

ABM rose from the chaos in Sinai that began with the uprising in January 2011. Its operations increased in the wake of the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état, shifting its main _target from Israel to Egyptian security forces,[7][12] declaring the Egyptian army and police apostates that can be killed.[13]

ABM was believed to have been the main group behind terrorist activity in the Sinai.[14] From September 2013 to late January 2014, ABM claimed responsibility for a rapid succession of mass scale attacks throughout Egypt, including the attempted assassination of the Egyptian interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim.[12] ABM recruited Bedouins as well as other Egyptians and people of other nationalities.[14] Ten leaders from the group were reported to have escaped from the Sinai to Gaza and Marsa Matrouh in late 2013.[15]

During 2014, ABM sent emissaries to ISIL in Syria to seek financial support, weapons and tactical advice.[16] On 10 November 2014, many members of ABM took an oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIL.[17] Following this pledge, ISIL supporters within ABM formed an official branch of ISIL in the region,[18][19] known as Wilayat Sinai, the Sinai Province of the Islamic State (or ISIL-SP).[12]

Designation as a terrorist organization

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ABM or ISIL-SP was designated a terrorist organization by Egypt,[20] the UAE,[21] the United Kingdom,[22] and the United States.[23]

Attacks

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Attacks claimed by or attributed to ABM include:

  • bombing of the gas pipelines Egypt to Israel and Jordan multiple times.[24][25]
  • September 2012 southern Israel cross-border attack.[10]
  • September 2013 assassination attempt on the minister of interior Mohamed Ibrahim Moustafa.[26]
  • October 2013 attack on a military intelligence building in Ismailia.[27]
  • November 2013, assassination of Mohamed Mabrouk, a security officer involved in the trial against Mohamed Morsi, who was shot dead outside his home in Nasr City.[28]
  • 24 December 2013 bombing of a police compound in Mansoura, killing at least 16 people, including 14 police officers.[29]
  • 31 January 2014, a rocket was launched from the Sinai Peninsula aimed at Eilat, Israel. The Iron Dome system intercepted the rocket.[30]
  • 20 January 2014 attack in Eilat. No damage or injuries were reported.[31]
  • 23 January 2014 attack on a police checkpoint in Beni Suef that killed 5 people.[32]
  • January 2014 Cairo bombings that took place in late January 2014,[33] though it later indicated that the Soldiers of Egypt group was behind one of the bombings.[34]
  • 25 January 2014 shooting down of a military helicopter in the Sinai.[35]
  • 28 January 2014 assassination of Mohamed Al-Saied (who was a member of Egypt's Interior Ministry).[36]
  • 31 January 2014 attempted attack on Eilat. The rocket was intercepted by the Iron Dome system.[37]
  • 16 February 2014 Taba bus bombing that killed four people, including three Korean tourists and an Egyptian bus driver.[38] The group warned all tourists to leave Egypt before 20 February 2014.[39]
  • 2 May 2014 attacks that killed 3 people in the Sinai.[40]
  • on 19 July 2014 Ansar Bait al-Maqdis ambushed Egyptian army soldiers; this event is known as the 2014 Farafra ambush.
  • on 28 August 2014 ABM released a video showing the beheading of 4 Egyptians accused of being Mossad spies and providing Israel with intelligence.[41]
  • late September 2014 killing of 6 security personnel.[42]
  • On 8 October 2014, a faction of ABM in the Gaza Strip, calling itself the Islamic State of Gaza, launched a bomb attack on the French Cultural Center in the city of Gaza, only to issue a statement several hours later denying any responsibility for the attack.[6]
  • ABM released a graphic propaganda video claiming responsibility for the 24 October 2014 Sinai attacks that killed 28 soldiers northwest of the town of Arish. The group was also responsible for a drive-by shooting several hours later at a checkpoint in Arish that killed three soldiers.[43]

After November 2014, attacks by the group were claimed as those of ISIL-SP.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Egypt arrests Sinai leading militant". Xinhua News Agency. 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  2. ^ "Egypt kills senior leader of Ansar Beit al-Maqdis". Worldbulletin. 10 December 2013. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  3. ^ "North Sinai tribal leader kills 4 Islamist militants". Mada Masr. 2 August 2014. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Militant Group in Egypt Vows Loyalty to ISIS". New York Times. 10 November 2014. Archived from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  5. ^ "ISIS Now Has Military Allies in 11 Countries -- NYMag". Daily Intelligencer. 23 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "IS claims responsibility for Gaza's French Cultural Centre blast, reports". Middle East Eye. 8 October 2014. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Egypt faces new threat in al-Qaida-linked group Ansar Beyt al-Maqdis". The Guardian. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 23 June 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
  8. ^ "Interior Ministry analyzes Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis statement over assassination attempt". State Information Services. 10 September 2013. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
  9. ^ "Will ISIS find fertile ground in Egypt's Sinai? - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  10. ^ a b "Jihadist group claims responsibility for Israel attack". Daily News Egypt. 23 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  11. ^ "Egyptian tanks, helicopters push through Sinai". Times of Israel. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  12. ^ a b c d "Wilayat Sinai: The Islamic State's Egyptian Affiliat" (PDF). inss. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 May 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2016.
  13. ^ Awad, Mokhtar; Tadros, Samuel (21 August 2015). "Bay'a Remorse? Wilayat Sinai and the Nile Valley". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  14. ^ a b "Single terror group responsible for most attacks in Sinai, intelligence sources say". Times of Israel. 3 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  15. ^ "Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis members escape to Gaza, Marsa Matrouh". Egypt Independent. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 7 February 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Islamic State Sprouting Limbs Beyond Its Base". The New York Times. 14 February 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Egypt jihadists vow loyalty to IS as Iraq probes leader's fate". AFP. 10 November 2014. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2017.
  18. ^ "The Islamic State's Archipelago of Provinces". Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  19. ^ "Sinai-based jihadist group rebranded as Islamic State's official arm". Long War Journal. 14 November 2014. Archived from the original on 20 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  20. ^ "Egyptian court says Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis a terrorist organization". Egypt Independent. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  21. ^ "UAE cabinet endorses new list of terrorist groups". Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) وكالة الأنباء الكويتية. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  22. ^ "UK government Proscribed Terrorist Organisations" (PDF). UK Home Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  23. ^ "US declares Ansar Beit al-Maqdes a terrorist group". Mada Masr. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 9 April 2014.
  24. ^ ""Supporters of Jerusalem" claim responsibility for latest pipeline bombing". Daily News Egypt. 26 July 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  25. ^ "ISIS Blows Up Egypt-Jordan Gas Pipeline". Arutz Sheva. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  26. ^ "Sources confirm ex-army officer behind minister assassination attempt". Egypt Independent. 26 October 2013. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  27. ^ "Jihadists claim responsibility for Ismailia military bombing". Daily News Egypt. 21 October 2013. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  28. ^ "Sinai militants claim responsibility for Cairo killing". Ahram Online. 20 November 2013. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  29. ^ "Mansoura death toll rises to 16, mostly policemen". Ahram Online. 25 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  30. ^ Ohayon, Meir (1 February 2014). "Radical Salafis claim responsibility for Eilat rocket fire". Ynetnews. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  31. ^ "Salafi group takes responsibility for Eilat rockets". Times of Israel. 21 January 2014. Archived from the original on 1 October 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2014.
  32. ^ "Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility for Beni Suef attack". Egypt Independent. 23 January 2014. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  33. ^ "Deadly explosions _target police in Egypt". Al Jazeera English. 24 Jan 2014. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  34. ^ "Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility for military helicopter crash and attacks". Egypt Independent. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  35. ^ "Egyptian soldiers killed in Sinai as protest toll rises to 49". Reuters. 26 January 2014. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  36. ^ "Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis takes responsibility for assassination of Al-Saied, army accuses Brotherhood". Daily News Egypt. 29 January 2014. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  37. ^ "Egypt jihadists claim rocket fire on Israel's Eilat". Daily News Egypt. 1 February 2014. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  38. ^ Gulhane, Joel (18 February 2014). "Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claim Taba bus bombing". Daily News Egypt. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  39. ^ The Associated Press (18 February 2014). "Egypt militants warn tourists to leave country or face attack". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 18 February 2014. Retrieved 18 February 2014.
  40. ^ "Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claim Taba bus bombing". Mada Masr. 4 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-05-06. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  41. ^ "Sinai terror group decapitates four alleged Mossad spies". Jerusalem Post. 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  42. ^ "Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility for latest Sinai attack". Aswat Masriya. 17 September 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  43. ^ "Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis posts video of deadly attack that killed 30 in Sinai". Reuters. 15 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
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