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The Egyptian Ministry of Interior announced Sunday that it had raided a hideout belonging to the Hasm movement, which the authorities describe as the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood and classify as a terrorist organization.
Hasm, short for Harakat Sawa’d Misr, is a militant group that emerged in 2016 and claimed responsibility for a series of attacks targeting security forces, judges, and government officials.
It was designated as a terrorist organization by Egyptian authorities in 2017.
According to a statement by the Egyptian Interior Ministry, security services had tracked an alleged plan by Hasm to resume its operations by targeting security and economic sites.
The ministry said that information was received indicating that leaders of the "Hasm" movement—the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood currently residing in Türkiye—were involved in preparing and planning to revive the group’s activity and carry out hostile operations targeting security and economic facilities.
”One operative, identified as the fugitive Ahmed Mohamed Abdel Razek Ahmed Ghoneim, had allegedly infiltrated Egypt through desert routes after receiving 'advanced military training in a neighboring country,'” the ministry said.
The security operation came about two weeks after the release of a promotional video by the Hasm movement, which included footage of training with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, accompanied by inciting chants and threats to target prisons to free convicted members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The National Security Sector, in coordination with other security agencies, was able to identify the Hasm leaders responsible for orchestrating the plot. In response to this intelligence, the infiltration of one of the group’s members was monitored.
After obtaining authorization from the Egyptian Supreme State Security Prosecution, forces raided a hideout in Giza of the suspects, who opened fire randomly, prompting the forces to return fire.
As a result of the clash, two group members were killed, along with a civilian who happened to be passing by the scene. An officer was also injured while attempting to rescue the citizen.
The mention of Türkiye in the Interior Ministry’s statement has raised questions about the potential impact of these developments on the momentum of strengthening ties between Cairo and Ankara, especially given that the Muslim Brotherhood was the cause of a decadelong rift between the two countries.
According to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, National Security and International Relations Advisor Maj. Gen. Mohamed Abdel Wahid confirmed that the mention of Türkiye in the statement "will not affect relations between the two countries." He explained that "the reference to Türkiye came incidentally in the context of acknowledging the fact that the Muslim Brotherhood fled to Türkiye."
He added that relations between the two countries are "very good and strong across multiple tracks, and the Muslim Brotherhood issue no longer affects them." However, he pointed out Egyptian demands for the extradition of the group’s fleeing members and suggested that "mentioning Türkiye may be a form of pressure to complete the extradition process."
The path of normalizing relations between the two countries accelerated following the handshake between Presidents Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the World Cup opening in Qatar in 2022. This was crowned by Erdogan’s visit to Cairo in February 2024, followed by Sissi’s visit to Ankara in September of the same year, marking the inauguration of a “new era” of cooperation between the two sides.
Asharq Al-Awsat also reported that Karim Saeed, deputy editor-in-chief of Democracy Magazine and a researcher in regional affairs, believes that "the Muslim Brotherhood issue is no longer a pressure point in Egyptian-Türkiye relations," pointing out that "the relationship is governed by larger and deeper strategic issues that serve the interests of both Cairo and Ankara."
Meanwhile, former Egyptian Deputy Foreign Minister and member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Rokha Ahmed Hassan confirmed that the Interior Ministry’s reference to Türkiye "will not affect relations with Egypt." He explained that "Ankara is keen on its ties with Cairo and is currently pursuing a policy aimed at zero problems with neighboring countries."
He added that the mention of Hasm’s ties to Muslim Brotherhood members fleeing to Türkiye "acknowledges the reality of those elements’ escape in 2013 and does not constitute any accusation against Ankara."
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