Egyptian jihadists released a video on Thursday showing the beheading of four “Israeli informants.” Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (ABM), a terrorist organization operating in Sinai, claimed responsibility for executing the men, whose bodies were found in the coastal province of Sheikh Zuweid on August 20.
A screenshot from the YouTube video. (Photo: YouTube) |
According to the masked extremists in the video, the captives provided intelligence on rocket launches from Sinai into Israel during Operation Protective Edge last month. A subsequent attack by an IDF UAV reportedly killed three ABM militants in Egyptian territory on July 23rd.
Traditionally, ABM has targeted the Egyptian security forces and local police in their raids, but they have recently expanded their operations outside of Sinai. The group has undertaken numerous other attacks, including the shooting down of a military helicopter and the bombing of the police headquarters in Cairo, earlier this year.
ABM is just one of the militant organizations waging an insurgency in Sinai since the overthrow of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013. Other groups, including Ajnad Misr, have also launched suicide attacks and raided military facilities. Many jihadists fund their operations though kidnapping ransoms, Muslim Brotherhood supporters, and smuggling. ABM in particular is suspected of having ties to Hamas terrorists in Gaza, using the enclave as a safe haven.
