A Counter-Terrorism Success Story? ISIL Sinai
Group Profile
In 2014, the jihadist terrorist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdia (ABM) pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and became ISIL Sinai Province. During its first few years of operation, the group committed over 500 attacks in the northern Sinai region of Egypt, mainly targeting Egyptian security forces. However, as a result of both kinetic and non-kinetic counter-terrorism measures, the group lost many of its strongholds, and since early 2023, ISIL Sinai has remained largely inactive.
Is it too early to call the group a counter-terrorism success story? Keep reading to learn about ISIL Sinai’s financial profile.
Origins and Operations
ABM first appeared in 2011 and primarily carried out attacks against the Egyptian and Israeli governments. In October 2014, leaders from both ABM and the Islamic State supposedly met to negotiate potential funding opportunities. ABM’s pledge of allegiance to ISIL could have thus been a financial decision.
After becoming an affiliate, ISIL Sinai conducted operations against foreign and religious targets, including bombing a Russian passenger aircraft, executing a Croatian citizen, and attacking Egyptian Coptic Christians. The group primarily operated in the northern Sinai region of Egypt. In 2021, the UN assessed ISIL Sinai had around 1,000 fighters. However, the group is now estimated to have a few hundred remaining members.
