Sinai tribes take up arms against IS
Tribes in northern Sinai have joined the fight against Wilayat Sinai, raising questions about the state’s monopoly on weapons.
A number of tribes in northern Sinai have taken up arms in the battle launched by the Egyptian military against Wilayat Sinai, the Islamic State's (IS) Sinai affiliate. Their involvement followed an April 29 statement by the Tarabin tribe in which it called on the tribes in the northern Sinai governorate to unite against the extremist organization.
In its statement, the Tarabin proclaimed, “Facing the terrorist and immoral invasions of the Islamic and Arab nation, targeting our people and the entity of our state and violating all human and moral standards and traditions of Islam, strife is knocking on our doors that were once safe, and deceit is stealing the lives of our youths and depriving our tribes of their financial and moral assets in [northern] Sinai.”
Days later, on May 3, the Tarabin announced the killing of eight members of Wilayat Sinai in clashes in the area of Ajraa and the capture of three others, including Asaad al-Amarin, a non-Egyptian leader in the organization. Amarin had been responsible for the organization's supplies and funding and had recruited a number of people to the group.
Sameh Eid, an independent researcher focusing on Islamic movements, told Al-Monitor, “It is dangerous that tribes in Sinai are carrying arms. This will have momentary gains only. In the long run, civilians bearing arms will jeopardize the state’s stability. Arms should only be in the hands of the army and police.
