Army of Islam

A small terrorist organization belonging to the Salafi jihadist stream. The organization is based in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City. It was established in late 2005 following a split in the Popular Resistance Committees when the Dagmash clan, based in Sabra, broke away and formed this organization. The organization also included defectors from Hamas’s military wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Some of the well-known actions in which the organization participated include the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the kidnapping of BBC journalist Alan Johnston, and the arson attack on the American school in Gaza. The organization generally cooperates with Hamas but sometimes operates independently.