Ajnad Misr, a Salafist militant group in Egypt, was designated a "global terrorist" by the U.S. Department of State Thursday, eliciting an unexpected expression of gratitude from the extremist group.
The State Department designated Ajnad Misr, a splinter group of Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing claims of "numerous attacks on Egyptian security forces at government buildings, public spaces and universities, often injuring or killing innocent bystanders."
The new designation was well received by Ajnad Misr, which posted a message to its official Twitter page thanking the U.S. for the "blessing."
Foreign terrorist designations are authorized under Executive Order 13224 to target terrorists and supporters of terrorists or acts of terrorism.
