Has IS infiltrated the Egyptian army?

The nature and number of terrorist attacks on Egyptian soldiers raises questions about whether the army has been infiltrated by sympathisers of the Islamic State group.

A recent attack in the Mediterranean port city of Damietta has fuelled such speculation. According to authorities, a terrorist group attacked an Egyptian naval patrol, wounding five crew members and kidnapping eight others. However, a state-imposed blackout on further details has lead to much speculation about the attack, the perpetrators and their goals.

According to Al-Mudun, which was cited by other media, the attackers were members of the Egyptian navy and was led by an officer. The group seized a patrol boat and killed those on board, before they were attacked and captured by another Egyptian navy vessel. Al-Mudun’s report was similar to those on militant websites linked to Wilayat Sinaa [“the State of Sinai”] group, formerly known as Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis [“Supporters of the Holy House”], which has claimed a number of attacks in Sinai.

The Damietta incident happened a few days after Wilayat Sinaa pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group (IS). A video was also released showing how its fighters captured military hardware and destroyed an Egyptian armoured vehicle in an attack on the Karm al-Qawadis border post in Sheikh Zuweid two weeks ago, which left 31 soldiers dead and scores wounded.

What is happening is a serious indicator, not only of how fast radical groups in Egypt are changing, but also of their capabilities and organisation. Many of Wilayat Sinaa's operations have been reportedly planned by Egyptian army defectors. An army officer was alleged to have been behind an attempt on a government minister's life in October 2013. According to newspaper Al-Watan, a former army major helped plan the attack on Karm al-Qawadis. 

Wilayat Sinaa would find it difficult to carry out such spectacular operations without help from the army.

Indeed, Wilayat Sinaa would find it difficult to carry out such spectacular operations without help from the army. Many reports indicate the organisation has "informers" within the services, which help it track the movements of units. The group has been able to attack army convoys travelling between the Sinai and cities in the Nile delta.

There is also a state of dissatisfaction among Egyptians with the current regime. Many reject its security measures and the behaviour of the armed forces. This may be encouraging officers and soldiers to show sympathy towards prisoners and their families. Therefore, it is not unlikely some of them may have been recruited by radical organisations, whether they are followers of or just sympathetic to their ideologies. 

Radicals infiltrating the Egyptian army is nothing new. It happened in the 1970s during the rise and spread of both violent and peaceful Islamic movements. It was Egyptian army officers who planned and carried out the assassination of President Anwar Sadat in October 1981. Khaled Islambouli, the leader of the plot, was an officer in the artillery corps and his accomplices held positions in military intelligence, air defence and the engineering corps.

It has happened before then. It can happen again.

Egyptians have the right to know how the army is being managed. Media blackouts over such incidents as Damietta, and the failure to reveal all the facts, breeds confusion and contradicting stories. This undermines the army’s unity and cohesion.

No free and honourable person interested in their homeland's security, and the safety of its children, would hope for such a scenario.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.

Opinions expressed in this article remain those of original author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of al-Araby al-Jadeed, its editorial board or staff.