The Ansar al-Jihad terrorist organization in Sinai announced in an internet message Tuesday its complete support for Ayman al-Zawahiri, head of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, according to the Search for International Terrorist Entities (SITE), an organization that monitors jihadist movements.
On 21 December, SITE announced that Ansar al-Jihad planned to launch attacks on Egypt's ruling military council, as well as US interests abroad.
Hotels and tourist attractions in Sinai were bombed multiple times between 2004 and 2006, killing more than 100 people. Government authorities accused jihadist organizations of carrying out the attacks.
Last month, Ansar al-Jihad claimed responsibility for a series of bombings on the pipeline that transports natural gas to Israel.
In a statement circulated on fliers in North Sinai and published on the internet, the group vowed to wage a war against what it called "the corrupt [Egyptian] regime and its Jewish and American backers," and stressed adherence to the doctrine of "the martyr Imam Osama bin Laden."
Translated from Al-Masry Al-Youm
