Global Jihad terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula receive financial and logistical support from other Salafi-linked terror cells in Afghanistan and Iraq, a senior Israeli official revealed on Wednesday.
According to the official, the groups were usually not connected to Iran which was working to establish its own terrorist infrastructure in the Sinai via Hezbollah.
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A large percentage of the weaponry used in the recent spate of attacks against Israel originated in Libya, where arms depots were raided and cleared out following the revolution there last year.
Israel is particularly concerned with the existence of sophisticated shoulder-to-air missiles that can threaten Israeli aircraft flying near the border. Another concern is the possibility that sea mines previously used by the Libyan military will find their way to the Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
"There is no shortage of weapons and explosives in the Sinai," the official said.
The official said that the cross-border attack from the Sinai on Sunday during which armed Beduin from the Sinai killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, stole an armored vehicle and infiltrated into Israel, was motivated by the group's interest in establishing itself as a new player in the region. As a result, the assessment within the Israeli intelligence community is that the attacks will continue and might even increase in their frequency.
For the time being, the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) cannot yet identify a group that is responsible for the attacks although Egyptian media reported Wednesday that the Army of Islam, a Gaza-based group affiliated with al-Qaida, was involved. According to Israel, the perpetrators are global jihad operatives, brought together by a common cause - to attack Israel and Egypt - and due to financial incentives for their families.
"These are attacks that are aimed at establishing the groups' reputation and position within the Sinai," the official said, adding that the operatives were not subordinate to the Beduin sheikhs who traditionally were in charge of everything that happens in the peninsula.
That is why the focus for Israel now is in increasing its intelligence capabilities in the Sinai. The government is expected to rule in the coming weeks which intelligence agency – Military Intelligence or the Shin Bet – will be placed in charge of covering the Sinai. The consequence of such a decision will draw an immediate budget increase for the chosen intelligence agency.
According to the official, the groups were usually not connected to Iran which was working to establish its own terrorist infrastructure in the Sinai via Hezbollah.
Related:
A large percentage of the weaponry used in the recent spate of attacks against Israel originated in Libya, where arms depots were raided and cleared out following the revolution there last year.
Israel is particularly concerned with the existence of sophisticated shoulder-to-air missiles that can threaten Israeli aircraft flying near the border. Another concern is the possibility that sea mines previously used by the Libyan military will find their way to the Sinai and the Gaza Strip.
"There is no shortage of weapons and explosives in the Sinai," the official said.
The official said that the cross-border attack from the Sinai on Sunday during which armed Beduin from the Sinai killed 16 Egyptian soldiers, stole an armored vehicle and infiltrated into Israel, was motivated by the group's interest in establishing itself as a new player in the region. As a result, the assessment within the Israeli intelligence community is that the attacks will continue and might even increase in their frequency.
For the time being, the IDF and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) cannot yet identify a group that is responsible for the attacks although Egyptian media reported Wednesday that the Army of Islam, a Gaza-based group affiliated with al-Qaida, was involved. According to Israel, the perpetrators are global jihad operatives, brought together by a common cause - to attack Israel and Egypt - and due to financial incentives for their families.
"These are attacks that are aimed at establishing the groups' reputation and position within the Sinai," the official said, adding that the operatives were not subordinate to the Beduin sheikhs who traditionally were in charge of everything that happens in the peninsula.
That is why the focus for Israel now is in increasing its intelligence capabilities in the Sinai. The government is expected to rule in the coming weeks which intelligence agency – Military Intelligence or the Shin Bet – will be placed in charge of covering the Sinai. The consequence of such a decision will draw an immediate budget increase for the chosen intelligence agency.