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Masada al-Mujahideen | |
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مسعدة المجاهدين | |
Political leader | Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi |
Dates of operation | 2008–2013 |
Allegiance | Al-Qaeda |
Ideology |
Salafist jihadism Wahhabism |
Status | defunct |
Allies |
Tawhid and Jihad Group in Jerusalem Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem |
Opponents | United States Israel Hamas Jaysh al-Ummah |
Battles and wars | Gaza–Israel conflict |
Masada al-Mujahideen ( Arabic: سعدة المجاهدين) is a Palestinian terrorist organization associated with Al-Qaeda inside the Gaza Strip. [1]
The group first came into prominence after releasing a video online showing the group dropping a bomb on the Israeli city of Sderot. [2] This prompted Israeli Air Force to do airstrikes against Masada al-Mujahideen in the Gaza Strip. [3] After starting clashes with Israeli Defense Forces, another Jihadist organization in the Gaza strip named Jaysh al-Ummah, also known as Army of the Ummah, started clashes with Masada al-Mujahideen after they disapproved of the works done by the organization. [4] Later that year, Masada al-Mujahideen creates a media-wing for propaganda called Riah, [5] it mostly operated on Google+ until the account was taken down, [6] which then the group would move to Facebook. [7] It would create eulogies for Osama bin Laden, [8] Attiya Allah, [9] and Abu Yahya al-Libi. [10]
Masada al-Mujahideen, a couple months after the bomb attack, would threaten with more "operations" in Israel, [11] later that day, they would claim responsibility a train fire that happened at night in Haifa. [12] A couple days later, they claim responsibility for a cargo ship fire in Eilat, Israel. [13] In July 2011, they would claim responsibility for a forest fire that happened in Jerusalem, [14] again in July they would claim responsibility for the Alfei Menashe Fire. [15] In October 2011, Masada al-Mujahideen would claim responsibility for multiple arson attacks that have happened in Israel. [16] In November 2011, Masada al-Mujahideen would claim responsibility for an arson attack on a chemical factory owned by the Israeli government, [17] then in December, they would claim responsibility for an industrial center arson attack. [18] In 2012 they claimed responsibility for an arson attack in Be'er Ya'akov. [19] In that year, they would also set a military base on fire in Ashkelon, owned by the Israel Defense Forces, and claim responsibility, [20] later that month, they would claim responsibility an arson attack on an airplane factory in Haifa, [21] they would also later that month, again in Haifa, claim responsibility for a residential fire that happened. [22] Again in May 2012, in Northern Israel, they would claim a series of different fires and arson attacks, including some in the occupied region of the Golan Heights. [23] Masada would also, the next day, claim responsibility for fire attacks targeting IDF guards. [24]
A month after the cargo ship fire, Masada al-Mujahideen would attack the Palestinian Liberation Organization's soldiers after Palestine would start land negotiations with Israel. [25] Masada al-Mujahideen would start doing light attacks on Hamas for the treatment of their POWs and regular prisoners. [26] In 2012, Masada al-Mujahideen blamed Hamas for the death of the Salafi Jihadist leader, Abu al-Walid al-Maqdisi, and threatened to attack Hamas, which they would later do so. [27] [28]
In 2012, Masada al-Mujahideen attempted to claim responsibility for the Nevada forest fires, until their claim was disproved. [29]
In 2013, during one of Arizona's wildfires, Masada al-Mujahideen claimed responsibility with the statement "Masada al-Mujahideen Fulfilled its Promise and Attacked America Again After the Expiration of the Period with Fires that Achieved Historic Results", [30] they would also celebrate the death of 19 firefighters attempting to put out the wildfire, but Arizona local governments would reject the claim done by the organization. [31] [32]