Egyptian militant group poses challenge to Sisi’s rule
‘Will Sisi last till he takes over power? And if he does, will he remain?’ Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis asked in a tweet
Former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who won a landslide victory this week in the Egyptian presidential election, is likely to face severe threats from militant groups during his upcoming rule.
On Thursday, Egyptian jihadist group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis issued a threat to Sisi, Al Arabiya News Channel’s Arabic website reported.
“Will Sisi last till he takes over power? And if he does, will he remain?” the group asked in a tweet following the announcement of the initial results of the presidential elections.
“May you wake up with a tragedy in your home” the group added in another tweet.
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which was created in 2011 following the Egyptian uprising, is sympathetic to al-Qaeda but is not a formal affiliate.
The al-Qaeda inspired militant group has spearheaded a wave of attacks targeting security forces since the army ousted Islamist president Mohammad Mursi in July.
Deadly
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has claimed some of the deadliest and high-profile attacks against Egyptian security forces, including a failed assassination attempt against the interior minister in September.
A rising threat of Islamist insurgency is far from the sole issue that Sisi will face as president, as the nation battles with an energy crisis and a stagnant economic situation.
Many Sisi supporters voted enthusiastically, singing and dancing at the polls, saying they had confidence that a man from the military can bring stability - and his stated intention to fight extremism.
Egypt - under Sisi’s previous tenure as army chief and defence minister - has launched a wide-ranging campaign against militants in the Sinai.
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has claimed some of the deadliest and high-profile attacks against Egyptian security forces, including a failed assassination attempt against the interior minister in September.
The group is thought to have been founded primarily by Egyptians in 2011 after the uprising that toppled strongman Hosni Mubarak.
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