A series of photos emerged on Saturday suggesting the Islamic State has set up checkpoints in the port city of Arish in eastern Egypt, not far from the border with Israel.

Axar.az reports, although jihadist insurgents regularly target the Egyptian Armed Forces in the Sinai desert, they maintain an underground presence and are yet to establish actual control of areas of Egypt. However, the newly released pictures suggest otherwise.

The photos were released by Amaq Agency, the official Islamic State outlet. Arish, the largest city in the Sinai governorate, is home to upwards of 200,000 residents.

In a recent video, ISIS called on its followers to slaughter members of the country’s Christian minority, known as Orthodox Copts.