Violence spirals as Egypt's army and militants clash in Sinai

January 31, 2015

Ahmed Abudraa was on his way to visit relatives near the north Sinai town of Sheikh Zuwaid when he came across a checkpoint of bearded men wielding assault rifles. He slowly opened his window and asked whether it was safe for him to continue.

The militants barked into walkie-talkies and then assured him that they had secured the road.The men belonged to the outlawed Islamist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, thought to be responsible for a campaign of violence against the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

Abudraa, a local resident who is among the few journalists still able to enter the volatile area, quizzed one about their operations.