6 Persons Sentenced To Death For Murdering Policeman

6 Persons Sentenced To Death For Murdering Policeman

An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced six people to death for attacking a security checkpoint north of Cairo and killing a policeman.

The Cairo Criminal Court handed various prison sentences to six others in the case that dates back to 2016.

As well being found guilty of attacking police and army forces, the defendants were convicted of joining a terrorist group.

They attacked a security checkpoint in al-Khosous district in Qalubiya province, killed a non-commissioned police officer and attempted to kill other officers, prosecutors said.

Egypt has seen a surge in militant attacks since the army led the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013.

Thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members and followers have since been rounded up and tried in different cases.

Hundreds were handed death sentences in mass trials.

The Egyptian government has accused the Islamist group of involvement in a wave of militant violence in the country and designated it a terrorist organisation.

The group has denied the charge and accused authorities of oppression.