From ‘Tawhid and Jihad’ to ‘Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis’

Summary

The “Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis” group is one of the most prominent jihadist groups that appeared in the Egyptian scene after the outbreak of the January 25 revolution, 2011, and became popular after the military coup in 2013. The jihadist group had operated under this name until November 2014, when it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (in a nine-minute audio released on Twitter) and changed its name to become “Sinai Province”. This study addresses the roots of the group which trace back to the “Tawhid and Jihad” group that carried out several attacks against tourists in the Sinai Peninsula in 2004 and 2005. Before examining the experience of ‘Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, the study addresses the experience of the ‘Tawhid and Jihad’ group as it represents the original or parent group of the former.