Sinai tribes stand with Egyptian army against ISIL

Sinai tribes recently issued a statement rejecting the presence of "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) affiliate Wilayat Sinai in their areas, saying they stand with the Egyptian security forces in their efforts to defeat the group.

In a September 15th statement, the peninsula's northern tribes reiterated their support for the armed forces and said they back the state "in all the steps it takes to establish security and stability throughout Egypt, particularly the Sinai peninsula".

The tribes expressed their hope that terrorism would be eradicated quickly and that hope would return to Sinai "with the implementation of development projects previously announced by the state".

Reaffirming support for army

"The rapprochement occurring between Arab tribes in Sinai and army and police forces is on a very large scale, particularly during this period in which the region is under the threat of terrorism," said Brig. Gen. Jawdat Ashraf of the Egyptian police, who is currently stationed in Sinai.

This is due to the simmering tension between the tribes and ISIL and the intense pressure the army is bringing to bear on the extremists, he told Al-Mashareq.

The tribes' statement supporting the army and expressing their solidarity with the Egyptian state "is not surprising or new, and is issued by the tribes only to reaffirm their position", he added.

The situation has deteriorated between ISIL fighters and tribesmen, particularly members of the Tarabin tribe, leading to armed clashes between the two groups following ISIL's attempt to impose levies in some areas, Ashraf said.

"It also led to reciprocal abductions between the two sides, and the terrorists suffered many casualties," he added.

Egyptian forces have intervened to keep civilians from engaging in direct confrontations with ISIL and to restrict the fighting to the security forces, he said.

Sinai tribes reject ISIL

Tension between the tribes and extremist groups began to simmer in 2011, when armed groups affiliated with al-Qaeda began to proliferate in the region, Ashraf said.

"They assassinated many of the region’s residents, including ordinary people and tribal elders, in an attempt to intimidate the local population and deter them from reporting their movements," he said.

These groups used clandestine routes to smuggle weapons and drugs through the peninsula, he said, adding that tribesmen had exposed their illicit activities, including the drug deals they engaged in to finance their operations, to the authorities.

The alliance between the Egyptian army and the tribes becomes more critical in light of the ongoing war on terrorism, said military analyst and retired Egyptian military officer Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Ahmed.

The battle between the army and extremist groups has entered a more dangerous and critical phase, he told Al-Mashareq, adding that in the past, the army attacked these groups with surprise assaults or intensive airstrikes.

"Now, however, it is clear that the terrorists have resorted to hiding in rugged areas and away from plain sight in rough desert and mountain corridors," he said.

These are the most difficult terrains in which to conduct military operations, Ahmed said, adding that no one knows these areas better than the tribesmen.

"All information and reports coming from Sinai indicate the existence of obvious tension between the terrorists and the tribesmen, who reject the presence of terrorists in their areas and adamantly refuse to fight the Egyptian army," he said.

Intimidating Sinai residents

"Terrorists in Sinai harbour great hatred for the Arab tribesmen for refusing to work with them and for seeking the protection of the Egyptian army," said school teacher Mamoun Majeed, a native of North Sinai who resides in Cairo.

Wilayat Sinai has carried out many executions in the peninsula, he told Al-Mashareq, accusing its victims of working with the Egyptian forces and providing them with information on the group's movements, routes and hideouts.

The extremists are using various tactics to prevent citizens from working with the army, he said, including "intimidation and enticement".

They sometimes use mediators to calm things down, "to ensure they are not fired upon by tribesmen", he said, while on other occasions they resort to intimidation by appearing suddenly to block busy roads.

In these cases they assert their presence for short periods of time, Majeed said, and flee before the Egyptian army arrives.

The Tarabin tribe expelled extremist elements from its territory during a series of violent battles, particularly in al-Ajraa area between Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah near the coastline.

This tribe had previously formed a militia, the Sinai Tribes Union, to fight extremists, he said, adding that over the course of a few months, "it was able to expel the terrorists from many areas and destroy a large number of their hideouts".

However, negotiations between the Egyptian army and the tribes persuaded them to leave military activities to the Egyptian army, he said, out of the army command’s concern for the security and safety of the residents of those areas.