After portraying his interrogation in TV series: Who is terrorist Abdel Rahim al-Mesmary?

CAIRO – 9 May 2021: The 26th episode of the second season of El Ekhteyar series aired Saturday included a scene showing the interrogation of Abdel Rahim al-Mesmary, the Libyan terrorist who was the mastermind behind the 2017 Al Wahat Attack whereas a police squad was ambushed and sustained 16 deaths and 13 injuries.

On October 20, 2017, a police squad was fired at by terrorists at the 135th kilometer on Al Wahat Al Bahareya Road in the Western Desert while on its way to arrest them. A fire exchange took place so as 15 casualties occurred among militants.

Later on, the Air Force struck two vehicles used by terrorists killing all riders while the Egyptian Armed Forces sent reinforcements arresting Mesmary among others. Among those who were killed in strikes is Emad El Din Abdel Hamid nicknamed Sheikh Hatem, who trained Mesmary.

The terrorist took part in the revolution against late Libyan President Muammar al-Gaddafi in 2011 before joining Jihadists Shura Council in Derna in 2014. During his time with group, Mesmary used to plant explosives and fire at elements of the Libyan Armed Forces.

While still in Libya, Mesmary also joined a camp affiliated to the Islamic State (IS) terror group. Then, he came to Egypt accompanied with 14 persons from southern Derna, a port city eastern Libya, and they kept moving in the desert stretching along the governorates of Qena and Sohag in Upper Egypt. The reason he came to Egypt is forming a group in the Western Desert's Wahat district that would target churches and some vital establishments.

In January 2017, they began establishing a camp in Wahat and stayed for 10 months. During which, they were joined by six others, who carried out an attack against a convent in Minya.

Mesmary's mission was logistics as well as training terrorist elements on using arms and making explosives. The terrorist confessed that the group was planning to target Christians in Giza and Fayoum.

In interrogations, Mesmary said that his goal of fighting the police and army in Egypt was "imposing Sharia Law, and establishing an Islamic Caliphadom" saying he did not regret what he did.

Mesmary was executed in Egypt on June 27, 2020 almost a year after he was handed a death sentence by the court. On November 17, 2019, the court sentenced five defendants to life; one to 15 years in prison; another to five years in prison; nine to10 years in prison; and, six to three years in prison. Also, 10 defendants were handed life sentences and aggravated prison sentences in absentia.  

Mesmary was convicted of premeditated murder of officers and police personnel, attempted murder, seizing weapons, ammunition and explosives, joining a terrorist group, and an outlawed group that targets armed and police forces and facilities.