Wilayat Sinai

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Logo of the Wilayat Sinai

Wilayat Sinai ( Arabic ولاية سيناء, DMG Wilāyat Sīnāʾ  ‚Sinai- Wilaya '), until November 2014 Ansar Bait al-Maqdis ( Arabic أنصار بيت المقدس, DMG Anṣār Bait al-Maqdis  'the supporters of Jerusalem'), is an active Islamist terrorist organization operating from the Sinai Peninsula , which was founded in February 2011. The association includes around a thousand fighters, including Sinai Bedouins, Egyptians and foreigners. Initially, the organization's attacks were mainly directed against facilities in Israel and against the natural gas pipeline from Egypt to Israel. After the ousting of former President Mohammed Morsi on July 3, 2013, activities shifted from Sinai to the Nile Valley , and the attacks were now mainly directed against police, secret service and military facilities. The organization is able to endanger the national security of Egypt.

On November 14, 2014, Ansar Bait al-Maqdis officially joined the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization , and its members swore allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi . Since then the organization has been called Wilayat Sinai .

Ideology and motivation

Wilayat Sinai is a Salafist ( Sunni ) jihadist organization. A relationship to the al-Qaeda network has not been proven, even if the ideology and motivation are very similar.

The United States Department of State classified the organization as a terrorist organization on April 9, 2014. The Urgent Affairs Court in Cairo issued a similar classification on April 14, 2014.

In an audio message distributed on November 9, 2014, a spokesman for the group said it had decided to join the Islamic State (IS) terrorist organization and pledged allegiance to its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. A similar press release dated November 4, 2014 was denied by Ansar Bait al-Maqdis on the same day. The official connection was announced on November 14, 2014.

As early as October 2014, another terrorist organization declared that the “Soldiers of the Caliphate in the Land of Egypt” wanted to establish a caliphate on the Sinai Peninsula.

Origin and organization

The level of knowledge about the development and structure of the organization is extremely poor. Ansar Bait al-Maqdis was probably born in February 2011 by Egyptians, u. a. Refugees from Egyptian prisons, Bedouins from Sinai and foreigners mainly from the Gaza Strip and was able to use the security vacuum created by the events of the January 25th revolution in 2011 for its establishment.

Ansar Bait al-Maqdis is not the only Salafist terrorist organization operating from Sinai. Other organizations include a. Jaish al-Umma ("Army of the Muslim Nation", since 2007) under the leadership of Abu Hafs al-Maqdisi, Jund Allah ("Army of God", since about 2009) under the leadership of Abu 'Abd Allah as-Suri, Jaldjala under the leadership by Mahmud Talib, Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad (before 2010) under the leadership of Hisham as-Saidani and Ansar al-Jihad (since 2011). All of these organizations have contacts with Hamas and, in addition to the attacks, are also responsible for smuggling goods into the Gaza Strip. It is unknown whether Ansar Bait al-Maqdis may have emerged from one of these organizations.

The name Ansar Bait al-Maqdis has been used at least since July 26, 2012.

The organization was led by Muhammad Hamdan Abu Fraig, also known as Abu Suhaib, until December 2013. On March 15, 2014, the organization announced that one of its founders, Taufiq Muhammad Farig, also known as Abi 'Abd Allah, was killed in the premature detonation of an explosive device. He had u. a. headed the failed attack on the Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim Mustafa.

It is as yet completely unknown which political or religious institution is behind Ansar Bait al-Maqdis. Egyptian government officials and state media name the Muslim Brotherhood as the founder . The founder of Egyptian Islamic Jihad , Nabil Na'im ( Arabic نبيل نعيم), claimed in an interview with the independent daily Egypt Independent that Ansar Bait al-Maqdis from Chairat al-Shater , the vice-president of the Muslim Brotherhood, in coordination with Muhammad al- Zawahiri , the brother of the leader of al-Qaeda, and Hamas was founded. There is no third-party evidence for this statement.

Attributed attacks

  • Several attacks on natural gas pipelines to Israel.
  • Attack on Israeli forces in September 2012.
  • Attack on Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim Mustafa on September 5, 2013, who survived the attack.
  • Attack on the military intelligence building in Ismailia on October 21, 2013.
  • Assassination of the security officer Muhammad Mabruk, who was involved in the trial of Muhammad Mursi, on November 17, 2013 in Nasr City .
  • Attack on the police headquarters in al-Mansura on December 24, 2013. 16 people were killed in the attack.
  • Five police officers were killed in an attack on a police checkpoint in Bani Suwaif on January 23, 2014.
  • In several bombings in Cairo six people were killed and nearly a hundred injured. Ansar Bait al-Maqdis confessed to the most serious attack in front of the Cairo police and secret service headquarters, but later withdrew his allegiance to the further attacks on the same day. The Museum of Islamic Art and the National Library were also badly damaged in the attack.
  • On January 25, 2014, an Egyptian military helicopter was shot down with a surface-to-air missile. Five soldiers died.
  • On February 1, 2014, the Israeli air defense repulsed a rocket attack on the seaside resort of Eilat , to which the organization claimed responsibility.
  • Four people were killed in a suicide attack on a tourist bus on February 16, 2014, including three South Korean tourists and the bus driver. This attack, which Ansar Bait al-Maqdis claimed two days later, represents a new quality because the organization's field of activity was expanded to include the economic war. It is still controversial among Western experts whether a new trend could develop from the attack. The terrorist organization gave the tourists staying in Egypt an ultimatum to leave the country by February 20, 2014.
  • On May 4, 2014, the organization declared its responsibility for two suicide bombings at at-Tur in Sinai on May 2, 2014, in which three people were killed and eight injured.
  • The organization declared its responsibility for the rocket and mortar shell fire at an army base in al-Arish on July 13, 2014, in which eight people were killed and 25 people injured.
  • In mid-August 2014, Ansar Bait al-Maqdis published a video showing the beheading of four conscripted police officers on the Sinai. A week later, the organization took responsibility for the execution and declared that the people killed were responsible for working with Israeli intelligence.
  • It is believed that the October 24, 2014 bombing in Karam al-Qawadees in northern Sinai, in which at least 23 police officers were killed, was also carried out by Ansar Bait al-Maqdis.
  • January 29, 2015: Around 45 people, including civilians, were killed and 74 others were injured in several attacks on military facilities, the headquarters, hotel and club of the 101 battalion club in al-Arish, and a police station. The Sinai State organization immediately admitted to the attacks.
  • March 1, 2015: At least two people died and six police officers were injured in an attack in front of a police station in Aswan . It was the first attack in Aswan since Mohammed Morsi was overthrown in July 2013. Nobody has yet confessed to the attack.
  • As part of a large-scale series of attacks in the al-Sheikh Zuwaid area , more than 15 military checkpoints were attacked with heavy weapons and by three suicide bombers. According to data from Egyptian television on the evening of July 1, 100 militants and 17 soldiers died.
  • Wilayat Sinai accused himself of crashing Kogalymavia flight 9268 over the Sinai Peninsula on October 31, 2015 . All 224 inmates were killed.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c AFP: Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis poses serious security threat: Analysts . In: Daily News Egypt, February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  2. ↑ AFP / AP / Reuters: Egyptian jihadists join IS . In: Spiegel Online, November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  3. ↑ Raniah Salloum: "Islamic State" in Sinai: Egypt's most dangerous terrorist group . Spiegel Online, November 5, 2015.
  4. ↑ US declares Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis a terrorist organization , message from Daily News Egypt of April 9, 2014, accessed on April 9, 2014.
  5. ↑ Cairo court officially rules Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis a terrorist organization , message from Daily News Egypt of April 14, 2014, accessed on April 14, 2014.
  6. ↑ Terror Alliance: Egyptian jihadists join the IS . Spiegel Online, November 10, 2014, accessed on the same day.
  7. ↑ مبايعة جماعة أنصار بيت المقدس خليفة المسلمين أبي بكر البغدادي وانضمامها للددولة الاسلامية , accessed on Youtube on November 10th, 2014 from audio message.com from al.
  8. ↑ Sinai extremists swear allegiance to the “Islamic State” , standard message from November 4, 2014, accessed November 4, 2014
  9. ^ Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis denies pledging allegiance to ISIS , message from Daily News Egypt of November 4, 2014, accessed on November 4, 2014.
  10. ↑ Markus Bickel: New terrorist group wants to establish caliphate on Sinai . In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung of October 28, 2014, accessed on October 28, 2014.
  11. ↑ Samir Ghattas: Egypt: A new terror map ( Memento from February 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) . In: Al-Ahram Weekly, August 30, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  12. ^ AFP: New Islamist group vows attacks in Sinai . In: Daily News Egypt, December 22, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  13. ↑ a b “Supporters of Jerusalem” claim responsibility for latest pipeline bombing . In: Daily News Egypt. July 26, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  14. ↑ Mostafa Salem: Leading member of Sinai militant group killed: Military . In: Daily News Egypt, December 9, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
  15. ↑ Abdelhalim Abdallah H.: Ansar Beit al-Maqdis founder in the accidental explosion . In: Daily News Egypt, March 15, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  16. ^ Islamic Jihad Founder: Brotherhood has been funding Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis . Egypt Independent, September 9, 2013. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
  17. ^ Jihadist group claims responsibility for Israel attack . In Daily News Egypt, September 23, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  18. ^ Dpa / Reuters / AFP: Bomb attack in Cairo: Egypt's interior minister survived attack . In Spiegel Online, September 5, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
  19. ↑ Sources confirm ex-army officer behind minister assassination attempt . In: Egypt Independent, October 26, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  20. ↑ Mostafa Salem: Jihadists claim responsibility for Ismailia military bombing . In: Daily News Egypt, October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
  21. ↑ Abdelhalim Abdallah H.: Ansar Beit al-Maqdis releases video of explosion near Ismailia military intelligence building . In: Daily News Egypt, June 8, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2014.
  22. ↑ AbdelHalim H. AbdAllah: Homeland Security officer gunned down in Nasr City . In: Daily News Egypt, November 18, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  23. ^ Basil El-Dabh: Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claims responsibility for officer assassination . In: Daily News Egypt, November 20, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  24. ↑ dpa / Reuters: Egypt: More than ten dead in an attack in front of the police headquarters . In: Spiegel Online, December 24, 2013. Accessed December 24, 2013.
  25. ↑ Reuters: Five police officers killed in attack on Egyptian checkpoints ( memento of the original from February 9, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / derstandard.at archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Der Standard, January 23, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  26. ^ Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis claims responsibility for Beni Suef attack . In: Egypt Independent, January 23, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  27. ^ Fady Ashraf: Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claims responsibility for Friday bombings . In: Daily News Egypt, January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  28. ^ A b Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claims responsibility for helicopter shooting . In: Daily News Egypt, January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  29. ↑ Nasser Al-Azzazi: Military helicopter crashes in Sinai . In: Daily News Egypt, January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
  30. ↑ أنصار بيت المقدس تنشر فيديو إسقاط مروحية الجيش المصري في سيناء . Ansar Bait al-Maqdis' confession video on YouTube. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  31. ^ Egypt jihadists claim rocket fire on Israel's Eilat . In: Daily News Egypt, February 1, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  32. ↑ Terror in the Egyptian seaside resort of Taba: tourists die in attack on bus . In Spiegel Online on February 16, 2014. Accessed on February 16, 2014.
  33. ^ Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claim Taba bus bombing . In: Daily News Egypt, February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  34. ↑ Suicide bomber may be responsible for Taba bus blast: Interior Ministry . In: Daily News Egypt, February 17, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2014.
  35. ^ Egypt: Islamists threaten vacationers . In: Der Standard, February 18, 2014. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  36. ^ Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis claims responsibility for Sinai bombings . In: Daily News Egypt, May 4, 2014. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  37. ↑ Ahmed Morsy: Missile and mortar fire in Sinai . In: Al-Ahram Weekly, July 17, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  38. ↑ Egypt: Dead in attack on army base . In: Spiegel Online, July 14, 2014. Accessed July 14, 2014.
  39. ^ Adham Youssef: Interior ministry to investigate Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis video . In: Daily News Egypt, August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  40. ↑ Joel Gulhane: Militants claim to behead 4 in Sinai . In: Daily News Egypt, August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  41. ↑ Bomb blast kills 23 in Sinai ( memento of October 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) . In: Daily News Egypt, October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  42. ↑ dpa / AP / Reuters: Egypt: At least 25 dead after attacks in North Sinai . In: Spiegel Online, January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  43. ↑ dpa / Reuters: Egypt: IS offshoot is committed to series of attacks on the Sinai . In: Spiegel Online, January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  44. ↑ 45 قتيلا في هجمات بسيناء و "بيت المقدس" تتبناها . In: al-Jazeera , January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  45. ↑ Zee News India: Bomb blast in Egypt tourist town Aswan kills two . In: Zee News, March 1, 2015
  46. ↑ Explosion in Aswan leaves 2 dead . In: Daily News Egypt, March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  47. ↑ APA: More than a hundred dead in IS attacks in Sinai . In: Der Standard, July 2, 2015. Accessed July 2, 2015.
  48. ↑ Terrorist attack on flight 7K9268 in Egypt? (alleged letter of confession on Twitter in full), investigativ.welt.de from November 1, 2015 , accessed on November 7, 2015
  49. ↑ Islamic State claims responsibility for Russian plane crash in Egypt , reuters.com from October 31, 2015 , accessed on November 7, 2015