Militant group vows to renew hostile operations in Egypt
Egypt’s Interior Ministry recently voiced concerns over the country’s volatile borders, which are being exploited by militias seeking to stage renewed “hostile operations” inside Egypt, according to Asharq Al-Aswat on July 21st.
The ministry announced in a statement that it had executed a pre-emptive security operation on July 20th during which it successfully thwarted a terrorist attack planned by the outlawed Hasm movement, an armed wing of the prohibited Muslim Brotherhood.
The statement outlined that one of the operatives from the group, who had been trained in advanced military tactics overseas, tried to illegally infiltrate Egypt and engage in hostile operations, most notably sabotage.
A security source told Asharq Al-Aswat that the suspect had received training in Libya and previously lived in Sudan. “He crossed into Egypt illegally before planning the attack,” the source said.
The ministry said that it had received intelligence revealing that Hasm’s leadership, operating from Türkiye, was preparing to target economic and security infrastructure across Egypt.
This information follows a video posted online in early July, allegedly by Hasm, in which masked gunmen can be seen in a desert-like environment engaging in live-fire drills. These images were accompanied by a written statement which threatened renewed attacks, raising alarm bells over imminent hostile operations.
Security officials stated that the video contained components of older footage, yet some other clips were of recent training sessions in neighbouring Libya, which prompted heightened surveillance and tracking efforts.
Libya, a fragmented state which is embroiled in a protracted civil war, has been accused of prolonging the conflict in Egypt’s southern neighbour of Sudan through Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar’s backing of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The Egyptian Interior Ministry said that the raid on the militant hideout was resisted by heavy gunfire from the suspects, which led to a firefight which killed two of the gunmen, according to AP via ABC news on July 20th. A civilian was also caught in the crossfire and killed, while a police officer was injured during an attempt to rescue the mortally wounded man.
Former Interior Ministry spokesperson, General Hany Abdel Latif, celebrated the operation as a “significant success,” citing Egypt’s sustained security dominance. However, he also warned that “this does not mean terrorism has been eradicated. It remains a threat, both here and globally.”
Latif drew attention to Egypt’s “volatile borders,” particularly those shared with the Gaza strip, and the strategic Sudan-Egypt-Libya border triangle, which was recently seized by the RSF. He stated that “these frontiers provide opportunities for extremists to infiltrate and plot attacks.”
He emphasised that “we must remain vigilant. The threat is ongoing, and no warning should be underestimated.”
Asharq Al-Aswat, AP via ABC news, Maghrebi.org
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