Egypt’s Sisi Regime Sparks Outrage After Inflating Threat of Small Armed Group in Viral Video

Watan–A viral video showing an armed group of no more than seven individuals, which Egyptian authorities claimed belongs to the “Hasm” militant organization, has stirred widespread controversy after the regime of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi mobilized its media apparatus to warn of what it called a “serious threat to state security.”

Activists described the official reaction as insulting to Egyptians’ intelligence, pointing out the exaggeration in portraying a handful of fighters as a credible danger to a country with a population exceeding 110 million.

Pro-regime TV host Nashat al-Dehi claimed the video was filmed in Syria, while Ahmed Moussa, another regime-aligned presenter, went as far as accusing the Syrian regime of training these individuals.

Observers noted that this narrative is emerging as public discontent grows—especially over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis and deepening economic hardship.

أثار شكوكا وتساؤلات واسعة.. فيديو هزيل باهت لسبعة أشخاص يشعل أبواق النظام ويُعلن حالة الاستنفار.. فزاعة ” حركة حسم” تُبعث من جديد وسياسة صرف الأنظار عن الفشل والأزمات التي تتراكم يوميا مستمرة!

هل صُنعت حركة حسم داخل أروقة المخابرات؟.. هكذا تَصنع الأنظمة المرتجفة بطولاتها في خيال… pic.twitter.com/0yKPgYgQX6

— وطن. يغرد خارج السرب (@watanserb_news) July 5, 2025

Human rights advocate Mohamed Ismail stated that resurrecting this issue “cannot be separated from recent developments,” while researcher Murad Ali suggested the alleged resurgence of “Hasm” might be a pretext to justify increased security crackdowns and avoid an anticipated popular uprising.

For many Egyptians, this is not the first time the regime has turned to what they call a “new round of mass deception,” but this latest episode seems to reflect growing anxiety and instability within the ruling system itself.