Execution Batallion (Ikhwani Entity, Egypt)

• Local Name: كتيبة الاعدام
• Transliteration: Kata’eb al-Adam
• Alternatives: N/a
• Status: 2015 – 2015 (Defeated)
• Conflicts: Islamist Political Violence in Egypt

The Execution Battalion [KaA; Kata’eb al-Adam] was a tiny Islamist militant group operating in Egypt. It was made up of former supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, although the group claimed to have no ties to the movement itself. The KaA aimed to avenge the victims of the Egyptian authorities’ crackdown on Islamists. It focused specifically on members of the security forces who were directly involved in the clampdown. The group was believed to be headed by Islam Attito.¹

The KaA first appeared on Mar. 18, 2015 when it announced its formation on social media. Over the next weeks, the group made uncorroborated claims of attacks against a military prison chief in Ismailiya and a police officer in Iskandariya.² In April 2015, the KaA shot and killed a former police chief as they intercepted his car in Qahira’s Matariya suburb.³ The group asserted responsibility for the killing and claimed to have assassinated the officer to retaliate the death of a lawyer in police custody.⁴ The KaA threatened further attacks and claimed to have compiled a list of officials marked for assassination.⁵

No further operations were undertaken however as the authorities clamped down on the outfit in the wake of the officer’s killing. Police eliminated presumed leader Attito during a raid on his hideout on May 19, 2015.⁶ Several other operatives were arrested around the same time. In September 2015, these captured elements were referred to military court.⁷