They found a large amount of combat training equipment in his residence.[2] His wife later told the prosecution that she hadn't heard from him since the assassination attempt.[3] Egyptian authorities have linked his name with several militant cells and operations throughout the following year, including the Arab Sharkas case and the 2014 Farafra ambush,[12] which he had personally executed and previously planned while based in Ansar al-Sharia camps in Libya.[5] Ashmawy was assigned the training of ABM recruits in 2014,[13] and commanded the organization's cells in the Egyptian mainland.[14] He fell out with ABM that same year, however, when it declared allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and became Wilayat Sinai.[13] ABM, both in Sinai and in the mainland, had consequently split between members loyal to ISIL and some others linked to al-Qaeda.[15] Ashmawy's mainland operations were gradually taken over by Wilayat Sinai commander Ashraf al-Gharably.[16]