200 militants face criminal charges in Egypt

Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hesham Barakat referred 200 leading members of the militant Ansar Bait al-Maqdis (ABM or supporters of Jerusalem) to the Criminal Court on Saturday for committing acts of terrorism against military and police personnel. The defendants face several charges including the murder of police Lt. Colonel Mohammad Mabrouk - the key witness in the espionage charge against ousted president Mohammad Morsi, and Majar General Mohammad Al-Saeed, chief of staff of the minister of interior's office, MENA news agency reported. The charges also include launching attacks against security facilities in Cairo, Dakahliya and South Sinai governorates, according to the report. The ABM been active in the Sinai Peninsula since the outbreak of January 25, 2011 events in Egypt; its operations have been on rise in the wake of the ousting of Morsi in July 2013.