A security operation conducted by Egyptian forces resulted in three deaths, including two suspects and one bystander, during an effort to thwart a plot attributed to the Hasm movement, the armed wing of the banned Muslim Brotherhood, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday.
According to the official statement, the two targeted individuals opened fire “randomly” at security forces and the surrounding area, killing a civilian before being shot dead.
Authorities stated that the raid was launched based on recent intelligence indicating an attempt to revive Hasm’s activities, with plans to target security and economic installations.
The ministry also named five alleged leaders of the plot, all members of Hasm and sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia for a series of attacks committed after the 2013 ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.
Banned since that time and subject to a wide-ranging crackdown, the Muslim Brotherhood is classified as a terrorist organization by Egyptian authorities. Hasm, active between 2016 and 2019, had been accused of numerous bombings and assassination attempts before disappearing from public view.
One of the suspects killed was allegedly trained in “a neighboring country,” according to the ministry, before illegally entering Egypt to plan attacks.