Tensions have risen between the Quartet countries and Qatar over stopping the latter’s support for terrorism, which has been one of the 13 demands Kuwait has presented to Qatar on behalf of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. In order to shed light on the rationale of those demands, this article will present the three main terrorist organizations operating in Egypt, and the reasons for the terrorist attacks’ escalation including Qatari links to such organizations. This article will further explore the Egyptian counter-terrorism efforts.

First: Terrorist Organizations Operating in Egypt

Threats of terrorism in Egypt emanates from three main terrorist organizations, namely ISIS affiliate Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province), Hasm Movement, and ISIS affiliated groups operating in Upper Egypt. Those organizations are independently structured, yet they cooperate on tactical and logistical levels. The three groups share a common aim, which is attempting to topple the Egyptian regime. The following section will analyze the structural form of the three terrorist organizations:

1-     ISIS affiliate Wilayat Sinai:

Wilayat Sinai’s origins could be traced back to “Ansar Bait al-Maqdis” (ABM), which pledged allegiance to ISIS’ leader, Abu Bakr al-Boughdadi in November 2014. Wilayat Sinai grew out of groups of Bedouins and salafi-oriented outsiders, who had fled from mainland Egypt to Sinai. ^([1])

The group focuses on targeting military personnel in Sinai and Coptic Christians across the various governorates. Their latest attack occurred on April 9, 2017 targeted two churches in Alexandria and Tanta governorates using improvised explosive devices (IED), killing 45 people. The ISIS affiliate aims at dividing and destabilizing the Egyptian society through inflaming sectarian strife.

There are two indicators revealing cooperation between Wilayat Sinai, or in its previous form as ABM, and the Muslim Brotherhood. ^([2]) First, the ISIS’ affiliate attacks against the Egyptian army multiplied after the ouster of the Egyptian former president Mohamed Morsi. Before ABM pledged their allegiance to ISIS, they were recognized in July 2012 for their attacks on the gas pipelines connecting Egypt, Jordan and Israel. However, couple of months after the overthrow of Morsi, they escalated their attacks against Egyptian military and security personnel in Sinai. ^([3])

There is a second indication of strong cooperation between Palestinian Brotherhood offshoot, Hamas, and Wilayat Sinai. That is evident through the participation of former Hamas members in the latter’s latest attack on July 7, 2017 killing at least 23 Egyptian soldiers. ^([4])

2-     Hasm Movement:

The Muslim Brotherhood terrorist attacks against the Egyptian government in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s are well documented. After the ouster of Morsi, such assaults remerged. Despite claims that their leaders called for “peaceful protests,” some of its “young members have attacked private property, government targets, and participated in a fair share of violence against Coptic Christians.”^([5]) Furthermore, Mohammed al-Baltagy, a prominent leader of the Brotherhood, during the Rabaa Mosque protest, said that the terrorist attacks will continue until Morsi returns back to power.^([6])

In this context, Hasm, which is believed to be a splinter group of the Muslim Brotherhood, announced its establishment on July 2016. Hasm was involved in various terrorist attacks, the most prominent of which are the failed attempt on August 2016 to assassinate the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa. Another attack by Hasm took place on November 4, 2016 targeting Judge Ahmed Aboul Fotouh, one of the three judges involved in the trial of Morsi. ^([7]) Its operations focused on dense urban areas outside Sinai.

It is noteworthy to pinpoint that the group employs more sophisticated militant tactics such as Vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), ^([8]) and surveillance techniques. In May 2017, the Egyptian authorities managed to identify and arrest the group leaders responsible for the recruitment, training and financing, as well as the planning and implementation of terror. ^([9])

Despite this crackdown, the group continued to conduct retaliatory terrorist attacks. The random and violent patters of those attacks can be attributed to the decentralized structure of the group, and the fact that many other terrorist organizations, affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, may have merged with Hasm like lewaa al-thawra.

3-     ISIS cells in Upper Egypt:

More recently, Egypt has witnessed terrorist attacks that emanate from ISIS affiliated groups that were based in Libya and returned to Upper Egypt to carry on terrorist attacks. This could be attributed to several factors. Most importantly, the collapse of the Libyan state along with subsequent outflow of arms and jihadists that have had a profound effect on communities in the Western Desert. In addition, Egypt's border with Libya that is largely unguarded. Also, it could be attributed to Egypt rising role in appeasing Eastern Libya.

The first eminent threat was when ISIS beheaded 21 Egyptian Christians working in Libya on February 2015. Almost a year later, on January 2016, ISIS Libyan militants started operating in Egypt attacked a checkpoint near Kharga Oasis, in western desert that killing 10 police officers. Those militants have attempted to use the same tactics that has used in Sinai, including a focus on soft targets, as well as targeting Copts. ^([10])

Second: Causes for Rising  terrorist Threats:

1-     The Qatari meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs:

The role played by some countries in supporting Terrorist organization was highlighted by the recent rift between Qatar and the Arab Quartet countries. The crisis revealed the mounting Qatari support to terrorist organizations and more specifically backing the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

Moreover, 26 out of the Quartet countries’ list of 59 designated terrorists are Egyptians based in Qatar. Some of them are members of the Muslim Brotherhood, whom are given powerful media platform to criticize the Egyptian government and president, Abdel Fatah Sisi. ^([11])

One must note that Al-Jazeera never considered Hasm a terrorist organization. It refers to the group as a militant organization, and sometimes it refers that the Egyptian authorities consider the group a terrorist organization. ^([12])

Furthermore, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Egyptian Islamic theologian and the spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood based in Doha, accused the Egyptians rejecting the rule of Morsi as Khawarij (infidels). He incited the Muslim Brotherhood protesters through the screen of Al-Jazeera channel, calling for the return of Morsi to power. He even called for international intervention to bring Morsi back to power. ^([13])

However, the Egyptian government accused Qatar of supporting Egyptian terrorist groups, after December 2016 assaults targeting St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral. In an official statement, the interior minister revealed that the terrorist cell responsible for the attack, was led by Mohab Mostafa El-Sayed Kassem, who travelled to Qatar in 2015 and met with leading members of the Muslim Brotherhood, who convinced him to carry out terrorist attacks in Egypt. Upon returning to Egypt, Kassem followed their orders and traveled to North Sinai, where he members of ABM who provided him with training. ^([14]) This reveals the links between Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS in Sinai, as well as, the Qatari based terrorists.

2-     The rising threat of returned foreign fighters:

Egypt, like many European countries face the challenge of the returned foreign fighters, who fought within the ranks of ISIS in Iraq, Syria and Libya, after the radical organization retreated from various territories. It is estimated that the numbers of foreign militants range from hundreds to possibly thousands. These fighters have acquired extensive knowledge and expertise to use sophisticated weapons, as well as, evade security procedures. ^([15]) It is believed that the militants who carried out the recent Minya attack have been trained by an ISIS affiliated group. ^([16])

3-     Joining of former Hamas members to ISIS:  

There has been ongoing accusations to Hamas by the Egyptian authorities that the group is involved in supporting ISIS in Egypt. In 2016, news circulated revealing that dozens of the Iz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades’ members, and Hamas’ commando wing have defected   and Joined ISIS in Sinai. The well-trained defectors, included those skilled at operating anti-tank missiles and bomb-making, have helped sustain ISIS’ fight against Egyptian security forces. ^([17])

As mentioned previously Hamas, is the Palestinian branch of Muslim Brotherhood. The Egyptian authorities have accused the Egyptian Muslim of collaboration with elements of Hamas and Hezbollah, who managed to enter Egypt through underground tunnels, to provoke chaos and sabotage, attacking the Egyptian regime and killing civilian demonstrators.^([18])  

Third: Egyptian Response:

Egypt tried to apply multi-pronged strategy to counter terrorist threats. These measures could be summarized as follows:

1-     Seeking Tribal support:

Egypt resorted to ally with local armed forces comprised mainly of Sinai tribesmen operating in coordination with the Egyptian army that provides it with logistical support. These local force comprised mainly of parts of Tarabin and Sawarka tribe, one of the largest tribes in the Sinai. ^([19]) The only drawback of this strategy is that certain subtribes of the Tarabin tribe are believed to be a safe-havens for ISIS. ^([20]) Egypt has employed similar tactics in Western desert with local Bedouins, in order to monitor and track terrorist moves in these areas.

2-     Military and Security measures:

Egypt resorted to launching air strikes against militant bases in eastern Libya in response to attacks launched by ISIS groups, who resides there. The first air strike targeted ISIS militant camps, training sites and weaponry storage areas on February 2015, after the terrorist group beheaded 21 Egyptian Copts in Libya.^([21]) The second strike focused on terrorist camps in Derna, eastern Libya, who have been implicated in attacking a group of Coptic Christians traveling to a monastery in southern Egypt on May 2017.

Moreover, Egypt strengthen its security measures to protect its borders with Gaza. The Egyptian government destroyed many tunnels, and created a cordon sanitaire along its border with Gaza.^([22]) Egyptian forces have reinforced their convoys and many of the checkpoints on the roads leading in and out of the northern Sinai towns of al-Arish, Hasna, and Sheikh Zuweid.^([23])

Egypt declared the state of Emergency on April 2017, after the Palm Sunday bombings that killed 45 Christians in two Egyptian cities. ^([24]) There has been a persistent criticism of Egypt for its heavy-handed security response to terrorist attacks, claiming that these tactics further complicated the problem. However, this argument fails to take in consideration how western governments utilized similar tactics to counter ISIS. France has declared the state of emergency. In addition, Germany is drafting a controversial law giving authorities the power to fingerprint kids as young as six and would give investigators the right to look at private messages. ^([25]) 

3-     Enhancing regional cooperation: The Egyptian government has collaborates intensively with Libya and, more recently, Hamas. The ideological affinity of the latter to Muslim Brotherhood does not prohibit Egypt from accepting the group’s recent rapprochement on a pragmatic basis. This is justified as Hamas is the entity responsible for securing the frontier with Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. ^([26]) In return, Egypt offered to open the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza, and increase Egypt’s electricity supply.

Moreover, Egypt have enhanced security cooperation with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of Libyan National Army in east Libya, in an attempt to control the borders, and combat terrorist organization endangering the national security of both countries.

4-     Pressuring Qatar:

Egypt has responded to what it considers a Qatari meddling in its own affairs, and support of terrorist organizations by joining Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain in publishing a list of 12 entities and 59 individuals with alleged links to terror groups and Qatar. Also, Egypt asked UN Security Council to investigate Qatar for funding terror groups^{. ([27])} 

Egypt continues to face challenges in fighting various terrorist organizations, especially from ISIS affiliated groups, who is utilizing neighboring countries as a safe havens to reorganize and launch retaliating attacks. Despite remarkable success in conducting several preemptive strikes against terrorist organizations, it is expected that Egypt may still witness some attacks in the coming period. However, on the long run, with enhancing regional cooperation with Libya and Gaza, in fighting terrorism, as well as pressuring regional backers of terrorist organizations, terrorist organizations will be deemed to fail.