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Former “Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis” Member Appointed to an Administrative Position in Syria
Circulating reports and information published on social media platforms have sparked widespread controversy over the appointment of a person known as “Engineer Osama al-Haddad” as director of Syria’s railway administration. The allegations claim that the individual is actually a former member of the “Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis” organization, which operated in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, and is known by the alias “Abu Azzam al-Masri.”
“Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis”—later known as Sinai Province after pledging allegiance to ISIS in 2014—is an organization associated with a series of deadly attacks in Egypt since 2011. According to security reports and historians, the group claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks targeting army and police forces, as well as civilians. Among the most notable were:
- The downing of a Russian aircraft over Sinai in 2015.
- The Rawda Mosque massacre in Bir al-Abd in 2017.
- Attacks on churches in 2017, in addition to attacks on multiple military checkpoints in Rafah and Sheikh Zuweid.
Information attributed to the individual in question alleges that “Abu Azzam al-Masri” moved to Syria after the group’s activities in Egypt declined. He reportedly traveled through Turkey before joining the ranks of extremist factions and eventually settling in Damascus. The reports further claim that he obtained his new identity, “Osama al-Haddad,” through forgery, and that he enrolled as a student at the University of Idlib without meeting the usual academic or university admission requirements.
These allegations come amid growing questions about the nature of administrative appointments in Syrian institutions and calls for thorough scrutiny of the professional and security records of public officials. The case has provoked angry reactions among broad segments of the public, particularly Egyptian observers, who have linked the reports to criticism of policies toward individuals allegedly involved in terrorist operations. They have stressed the need to apply strict security and ethical standards when selecting public officials and to reject cooperation with anyone implicated in crimes against civilians or military personnel.
