Al-Jihad al-Islami
a fundamentalist religious group that seeks to establish Islamic rule in Egypt by force. It targets any secular establishment that is believed to be heretical, especially secular Arab governments. Its primary goals are (1) to "overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic state, and (2) to attack U.S. and Israeli interests in Egypt and abroad." Known as an “Egyptian Islamic extremist group,” it has been active since the late 1970s and is considered a "close partner of bin Laden's Al-Qaida organization." Its headquarters are located in Afghanistan and has branches in Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, the United Kingdom, and Yemen. Also known as Al-Jihad, Islamic Jihad, Jihad Group.