Egypt's Cairo Criminal Court Wednesday sentenced 26 people in absentia to death for forming a terrorist cell to target ships passing through the Suez Canal, media reported.
The 26 defendants were also charged with making missiles and explosive devices and possessing automatic weapons and huge quantities of ammunition, Xinhua reported citing state-run Ahram website.
Since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last July, the security conditions in Egypt have been deteriorating as hardliners frequently stage attacks on military and police premises as well as energy facilities.