Egypt Sets May 15 to Deliver Verdict on 8 Defendants Accused of Collaborating with ISIS

The High Court of Justice in Cairo. (Reuters)
The High Court of Justice in Cairo. (Reuters)
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Egypt Sets May 15 to Deliver Verdict on 8 Defendants Accused of Collaborating with ISIS

The High Court of Justice in Cairo. (Reuters)
The High Court of Justice in Cairo. (Reuters)

Egypt's Supreme Emergency State Security Court (SESSC) has set May 15 as the date for delivering its verdict in the case of eight suspects accused of collaborating with the terrorist ISIS group and plotting attacks against state institutions.

The Supreme State Security Prosecution (SSSP) had ordered the defendants to be referred to the SESSC.

They are accused of committing crimes in Egypt and abroad between 2012-2018, including collaborating with ISIS and agreeing with other terrorists abroad to fund members of an extremist group associated with the group in Egypt.

Investigations revealed that the defendants agreed to collect data concerning vital facilities in the country, such as the Gargoub Port, Sidi Gaber Railway Station, and Ramsis Railway Station. In addition, they provided funds for terrorist operations targeting them.

According to investigators, the defendants used Telegram for money transfer and for sending information.

Furthermore, the defendants are accused of membership to a terrorist group that targets the nation's national security and public order as well as the safety and interests of the community.

They face charges of disturbing public order, endangering the safety and security of society, disrupting the law, and causing social unrest.

A number of defendants received military, security, and technical training in preparation for terrorist plots.

They all committed the crime of funding a terrorist organization with knowledge of its terrorist goals. Also, they received and transferred funds and data to the group for the purpose of committing terrorist acts.



Separate Israeli Drone Strikes Kill 4 People in Lebanon

Forensic experts and firefighters work around the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of an Israeli drone attack in Araya, east of Beirut, on November 7, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
Forensic experts and firefighters work around the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of an Israeli drone attack in Araya, east of Beirut, on November 7, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
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Separate Israeli Drone Strikes Kill 4 People in Lebanon

Forensic experts and firefighters work around the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of an Israeli drone attack in Araya, east of Beirut, on November 7, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)
Forensic experts and firefighters work around the wreckage of a vehicle at the site of an Israeli drone attack in Araya, east of Beirut, on November 7, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (Photo by Fadel ITANI / AFP)

An Israeli drone strike on Thursday hit a car at an army checkpoint in the southern port city of Sidon, killing three people and wounding several others, including Lebanese soldiers and UN peacekeepers, Lebanon’s state news agency and the army said.

The Lebanese army said in a communique that three soldiers and four Malaysian peacekeepers were injured.

The National News Agency said one of the wounded was taken to the hospital while the peacekeepers were treated for minor injuries at the scene of the attack at the northern entrance of Sidon, Lebanon’s third-largest city. There was no immediate information on the identities of those who died.

The UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL said in a statement that a convoy bringing newly-arrived peacekeepers to south Lebanon was passing by when a drone strike took place near it. The strike lightly injured five peacekeepers, it said.
“We remind all actors of their obligation to avoid actions putting peacekeepers or civilians in danger. Differences should be resolved at the negotiating table, not through violence,” the statement said.

A drone strike earlier Thursday hit a car on a main highway just outside Beirut, killing one woman, according to local media.

The attack took place near Araya, where several similar drone strikes have taken place in the past week.