The Cairo Criminal Court renewed on Saturday the detention of 13 defendants, out of 15, involved in the ‘Al-Wahat shootout’ case for 45 days, pending investigations, according to state media.
The shootout occurred in late October 2017, when state security received information about a hideout of militants 135 km away from Cairo, and planned to raid the area. Sixteen policemen were killed, and 13 others were injured in violent clashes with the armed militants.
The defendants who are in total 15, are all accused of belonging to an outlawed militant group, targeting police and army personnel, attacking state institutions, possessing unlicensed firearms, and explosives. The defendants did not yet face trial since being arrested. This August, nine of them were detained for additional 45 days.
Later the defendants were arrested during a campaign in the shootout area by security forces in late October 2017.
In November 2017, Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek ordered the detention of defendants who had among them Libyan national Abdel Rahim Masmary who was also detained for 15 days pending investigations, for his involvement in the shootout. Masmary is affiliated with a terrorist group based in Derna, Libya, according to previous statement released by Egypt’s Interior Ministry.
