Egyptian authorities launch jihadist video investigation

Islamist militant calls for application of Sharia law in Egypt Several Egyptian military experts have warned against the re-emergence of jihadist groups after an online video threatened the army, churches and political forces in the country, describing them as "infidels".
A military source within the armed forces told Arabstoday that authorities have launched an investigation to formally identify the individual in the video, who is believed to be from Islamist group Takfir wal-Hijra.
The source said that the armed forces are taking the threats seriously because such videos "cause confusion and discord among Egyptian people."
Egyptian military expert Mohammed Qadri Saeed warned that the re-emergence of Takfir wal-Hijra and other Islamist groups, is due to the government's failure to investigate an attack on a security checkpoint in Rafah last August in which 16 security officers were killed.
Saeed cautioned that tough measures should be employed against these groups to prevent them from carrying out explosions and assassinations.
Professor of Strategic Sciences at Cairo University,  Nabil Fouad said authorities "must act quickly to track down and identify all individuals involved in making the video."
Fouad told Arabstoday that the situation in Sinai remains tense, despite what he described as the government's "eagle operation," which was aimed at cleansing the region from armed groups.
In the video uploaded on to YouTube on Saturday, a person claiming to be head of Egyptian jihadist group Takfir wal-Hijra threatened to attack the army, churches, political parties and the government.  With his face partially concealed by a scarf, the jihadist addressed the camera saying: "we shall proceed, with God's grace and might, to target all infidels," adding that the government is "inflexible and disconnected from the Islamic path and Sharia."
The jihadist  threatened that his Islamist group would destroy the Egyptian government's entire defence system unless "it applies Sharia and helps our brethren in Gaza."
The masked man claimed that the group had weapons capable of striking  "the infidel heart of Egypt and all sects and religions of the Egyptian people." He called on like-minded groups to begin destroying Egypt's security forces, army and kill those who "oppose God's law" and warned that Takfir wal-Hijra will target churches via car-bombs and explosives, adding that should the army or police intervene, "they will also be targeted."
Liberals and secularists were also threatened with death in the video along with anyone who attended Christian weddings and holiday services.
"The government will not be able to do away with us, because we are God's own soldiers," the YouTube video concluded.