10 sentenced to death in Egypt over terror charges

An Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced 10 persons to death for forming a terrorist cell, the media reported.

Citing MENA news agency, Xinhua reported the Giza Criminal Court said the defendants were found guilty of establishing a terrorist cell that is meant to target public figures, disrupt public security and attack public and private facilities.

Two of the defendants were sentenced in absentia, according to MENA.

The court also sentenced five other members of the cell to 25 years in prison.

Terrorism prevailed in Egypt since the military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 in response to mass protests against his 12-month reign and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Terrorist attacks killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in restive North Sinai province before they gradually spread to other provinces and started to target dozens of Coptic minority with church bombings.

Most of the attacks were claimed by the so-called Wilayat Sinai (Sinai State or Province), a Sinai-based group affiliated with the regional Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

--IANS

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