Egypt’s Islamist militant group swears allegiance to IS

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a powerful Islamist group in Egypt's Sinai peninsula, on Monday swore allegiance to the leader of the violent Islamic State movement which is fighting for the control of Syria and Iraq, the group said in a statement quoted by Reuters, according to RIA Novosti.

"After entrusting God we decided to swear allegiance to the emir of the faithful Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, caliph of the Muslims in Syria and Iraq and in other countries," the militants said.

Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis is considered to be the most active Islamist insurgency in Egypt. The group has reportedly been coordinating its activities with the radical IS. Last week, the Egyptian government declared a state of emergency following a dramatic increase in militant attacks on its police and military personnel.

Islamic State rose to prominence in summer after a rapid advance in Syria and Iraq that helped it win large swathes of land in both countries. The group has been in combat with the Syrian armed forces since 2011. Its official goal is to create a caliphate in the controlled territories.