Muslim Brotherhood’s Hasm: A Leap into the Void Amid Fragile Regional Conditions

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After years of disappearance, the Muslim Brotherhood-linked group “Hasm” has resurfaced. However, its return appears to be more of a media spectacle than a credible operational threat.

Listed as a terrorist organization in several countries, Hasm released a short video showing its fighters undergoing military training in a desert region, vowing to carry out terrorist attacks in Egypt.

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The video, titled “The Path of the Believers: This is the Way”, lasts 3 minutes and 38 seconds. It opens with spirited chants produced by the group, bears the slogan “We Are Coming”, and includes footage of training with light and medium-caliber automatic weapons, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades, and mortars.

At the end, Hasm threatens the Egyptian government, stating that the region has entered a new phase where power dynamics are shifting and wills are tested. The group cited Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack as an “example of the Israeli army’s defeat,” in its words.

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Hasm added that recent regional developments compel it to send a message to both allies and enemies that “the era of submission is over”, and that Egypt is not isolated from this struggle. The group claimed its reappearance comes after a long period of rebuilding, during which it strengthened its organization, refined its tools, and identified new targets.

It also vowed to target Egyptian prisons holding Muslim Brotherhood members convicted in various cases.

The release confirmed Hasm’s continued commitment to violence and its intentions to resume operations in Egypt—despite having been heavily struck down by Egyptian security forces in previous years.

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What is Hasm?

Hasm was established as the operational militant arm of the Muslim Brotherhood. It formed part of the “Revolutionary Action” structure created by the group after it was ousted from power following the June 30, 2013 protests.

Hasm first appeared publicly on July 16, 2016, with the assassination of a police chief in Fayoum. It then launched a series of bombings and assassinations against security forces and civilians, including an attempted assassination of former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa in August 2016.

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It also attempted to assassinate Deputy Prosecutor Zakaria Abdel Aziz in September 2016 and Judge Ahmed Abu El-Fotouh in November 2016, after he upheld a 20-year prison sentence for former President Mohamed Morsi.

Another group, “Revolution Brigade” (Liwa al-Thawra), claimed responsibility for similar attacks, including the assassination of General Adel Rajai in October 2016—allegedly in response to the killing of senior Brotherhood leader Mohamed Kamal earlier that month.

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These armed factions are extensions of militant groups like the “Popular Resistance” and “Revolutionary Punishment”, formed by the Muslim Brotherhood after its downfall. Egyptian authorities accuse Brotherhood figures Yehya Moussa and Alaa Al-Samahi of directing these groups from abroad.

Their long-term plan aimed to exhaust and confuse Egyptian security forces, then launch large-scale simultaneous attacks on government facilities, followed by cross-border assaults by militias from neighboring countries to regain power.

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Hasm adopted a decentralized structure, with orders issued from abroad. It relied on cluster cells to evade detection.

However, Egyptian security launched major crackdowns, arresting or killing many operatives. In April 2017, police uncovered weapons caches on two Brotherhood-owned farms, including the infamous “Death Farm” in Beheira.

Following these blows, Hasm’s operations declined. Its last major attack occurred in August 2019 when a car bomb exploded near Cairo University’s Cancer Institute, killing 20 civilians and injuring 50 others. The group then went dormant.

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Renewed Activity?

Since October 7, 2023, Hasm leaders abroad—led by Yehya Moussa—have been inciting a return to armed struggle, calling it the only path to free imprisoned Brotherhood leaders.

The dissident “General Office” or “Change Current”, linked to Mohamed Kamal, also called for preparations to forcibly change the regime.

Several statements were issued under the name “General Secretariat of the Brotherhood”, and another group launched the so-called “Midan Project”, aiming to revive Brotherhood activities in Egypt.

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In this context, Hasm released its latest video promising renewed militant activity.

However, analysts say the video was filmed years ago in a neighboring country and edited recently to appear current. It likely serves to distract and pressure security services rather than signal an immediate threat.

The video has been widely shared by Brotherhood-linked social media accounts, particularly those tied to the “General Office,” which seeks to gain influence within the Brotherhood by promoting its military project—contrasting with the “London faction” that proposed withdrawing from politics for 10–15 years in return for social reintegration in Egypt.

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