Hackers affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) militant group hacked this morning into the Twitter account of popular Egyptian music radio station Nogoum FM and sent tweets urging people to join the group and support the ‘Caliphate’. The radio station announced later Wednesday in a tweet that the account was restored.
“Our people in Egypt why do you call your caliphate Daesh, that name spread by the infidel secular media? Why do you support us!?” said one of the tweets posted by IS hackers.
The word Daesh, which stands for the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant in Arabic, is hated by IS and its supporters who consider it demeaning and prefer to use Islamic State.
Using the hashtag “The Caliphate hacks the immoral media,” IS hackers slammed the Muslim Brotherhood for being peaceful.
“Our people in beloved Egypt, you tried the Muslim Brotherhood, what did you gain from them except humiliation? You won’t restore your dignity except by jihad,” said one of the tweets.
IS considers the Muslim Brotherhood an infidel group for several ideological reasons, including their adoption of democracy.
The Brotherhood has been designated a terrorist organisation in Egypt since November 2013.
In another tweet, IS vowed to enter Egypt and destroy ancient statues, calling them “false idols,” while in other tweets it attacked Arab rulers.
For more than five hours the group sent tweets with media materials promoting the group and its ideology as well defending its image and claiming that the media is lying. The account was restored to the control of Nogoum FM at a little before 10am.
“@NogoumFM” was followed by 315,000 twitter users before the attack.
On its official Facebook page, it announced that its Twitter account was hacked and it was being restored.
Supporters of IS based in the Levant also posted links to the media statements of the group in the comments section of the page.
Nogoum FM, Egypt’s first privately owned FM radio channel, is operating from the Egyptian Media Production City (EMPC) in 6 of October City, Giza.
Last Tuesday at least six improvised bombs targeted electricity pylons feeding the media city, causing power to be cut off and forcing several TV channel to be off air for several minutes.
Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis (ABM) pledged allegiance last November to Islamic State, changing its name to Waliyat Sinai.
The militant group, which has been designated a terrorist organisation in Egypt and several other countries including the United States, has claimed responsibility for many attacks against security forces, mostly in North Sinai but also other areas in Egypt including in Cairo.
Hundreds of security forces personnel have been killed in attacks launched by the militant group. The Egyptian armed forces have been conducting a huge military operation against the group in Sinai where hundreds of suspected members have been either killed or arrested.
Civilians in North Sinai have been also caught in the middle of the on-going fight between ABM and security forces.
Islamic State published a photo of “Shady El-Manei” on the hacked @NogoumFM Twitter timeline, the leading member of ABM, in an undated photo claiming that he was alive after the announcement by security forces that he was killed last year.
Last January, an IS-affiliated group in Libya claimed responsibility for the murder of 20 Egyptian Christian workers in Tripoli after their kidnap in Sirte.
Egypt launched official airstrikes following the attack on IS positions in Libya.
According to estimates there are at least hundreds of Egyptians fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq.
source:Ahram online
