Egypt Puts Sinai-Based Militant Group On Terror List

An Egyptian court on Saturday included the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis militant group and 208 members in a newly-minted national terrorism list.



Prosecutor-General Hesham Barakat said in a statement that the Cairo Criminal Court enlisted the group, its founder and 207 other members in the list at his request.



The move came in light of Egypt's recently-approved Terrorist Entities Law issued by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi in February.



The law assigns the country's top prosecutor with the mission of preparing a list of terrorist entities.



According to the law, an entity is designated as "terrorist" when the courts issue a ruling against them proving this charge.



Ansar Beit al-Maqdis is mainly active in the Sinai Peninsula on the border between Egypt, Israel and the Gaza Strip.



The group claimed responsibility for most attacks against police and army personnel in the peninsula in the past year.



In recent months, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis swore allegiance to Daesh and have since called itself Welayet Sinai (the Province of Sinai).



www.aa.com.tr/en - Kahire