MOSCOW, November 15 (Sputnik) – Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (ABM), the most active Islamist group in Egypt, has posted a graphic video showing its fighters attacking Egyptian security forces on the Sinai Peninsula in late October, AFP reports.
On October 24, militants attacked Karam al-Kawadis, an Egyptian army checkpoint, killing over 30 soldiers and making it the deadliest assault in the region in decades, according to al-Arabiya. As a result, Egypt was forced to declare a three-month state of emergency in parts of the Sinai Peninsula.
Until Friday, ABM didn’t claim responsibility for the attack. However, the authenticity of a 30-minute video posted on a Twitter account, allegedly representing the group, could not be independently verified.
Earlier this month, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis pledged loyalty to the Islamic State, a radical Sunni group controlling large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria. The ABM video, far from being a simple footage, seems to reflect that. It resembles the ones released by the IS in terms of production – professionally edited video featuring a soundtrack depicts explosions, killings and preaching, the International Business Times points out.
Ansar Beit al-Maqdis arose following the Arab Spring revolution of 2011, the event which caused the overthrow of Egypt’s former president Hosni Mubarak. They have launched numerous deadly attacks, targeting mainly Egyptian security forces on the Sinai Peninsula. ABM has become increasingly active after Mohamed Morsi, the country’s first Islamist president, was removed from power in July 2013. The group claims it wants to avenge Muslims, who died in the subsequent crackdown on Morsi supporters.
In the video, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis promised to launch further attacks against Egyptian security forces, supporters of Abdel Fattah Sisi and the current president, who spearheaded the crackdown on supporters of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. The man in the video, identified in the subtitles as the suicide bomber who attacked the Karam al-Kawadis military site, says Sisi “has exceeded all limits” promising the army general will not get away with crackdown on Muslims, according to Reuters.
