Five alleged members of the militant group Islamic State were referred to the Criminal Court by the prosecution on Friday, state-owned media reported.
The defendants were reportedly planning to travel to Libya for training and then come back to Egypt to carry out “terrorist attacks”.
Early in April, two suicide bombers affiliated with the militant group killed 45 and injured dozens in attacks on two churches in Alexandria and Tanta during Palm Sunday celebrations.
In a recent development, the leader (emir) of the Islamic State’s branch in Egypt warned Muslims to stay away from Christian gatherings, as well as military, security, and governmental facilities, which are “legitimate targets for the organisation.”
In an interview in the group’s weekly Al-Nabaa newspaper, which is published on Telegram, the leader, whose name was not mentioned, called Muslims to avoid governmental, economic, and political facilities and places of “subjects” of what he described as “Crusader states.”
The leader further called upon Muslims in Egypt to join the group and fight the “crusaders” and the “apostates”, while calling the Egyptian army “the army of apostasy.”
According to the newspaper, “seven Egyptian military personnel were killed and six vehicles were destroyed in Sinai Province operations in North Sinai during last week.”
Since the beginning of May, some Bedouin tribes in Sinai announced joining the Egyptian army in its war on the extremist group Sinai Province, which is affiliated with the Islamic State.
Last Tuesday, the Al-Tarabin tribe announced that eight alleged militants were killed in clashes with its members, while two tribesmen were injured.
Although the declaration of the state of emergency and the Egyptian government’s pledge to end militancy, the activities of the Islamic State have started to turn its sights on targets outside its base in Sinai to reach Cairo and the Delta.
