2 Egyptians sentenced to death over forming terror cell

An Egyptian court sentenced on Saturday two defendants to death and four others to 25 years in jail over forming a terrorist cell targeting the country's institutions, official MENA news agency reported.

Cairo Criminal Court also sentenced another defendant to 15 years and seven others to three years in jail, while two defendants were acquitted in the case known in the Egyptian media as "the returnees from Libya."

The 16 defendants were arrested on the Egyptian-Libyan borders and investigation found they were heading to Cairo to carry out terrorist operations after receiving military training outside Egypt.

Terrorism has been growing in Egypt since the military removed former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Since then, most of the attacks took place in the restive Sinai Peninsula while several deadly ones were carried out in different parts across the country including the Western Desert bordering conflict-stricken Libya.

A Sinai-based group loyal to the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed the responsibility for most of the anti-government attacks over the past three years.

In July 2014, at least 21 Egyptian soldiers were killed and several others wounded in a terrorist attack against security forces at Al-Farafra Oasis in the country's Western Desert.

Later in February 2015, the IS militant group released a video showing the beheading of 20 Egyptians near the Libyan city of Sirte.

Egypt has recently hosted several officials from rival Libyan parties in an attempt to resolve the political deadlock in the neighboring Arab state, whose stability is strategically vital to the Egyptian national security. Endit