An Egyptian court today cancelled death sentences of seven Islamist militants and ordered their retrial in a case related to the killing of 25 policemen in the country's troubled North Sinai region.
Islamist militant Adel Habara and six others were sentenced to death in December last year by a Criminal Court over charges of killing the policemen in North Sinai city of Rafah in 2013.
Three other defendants were sentenced to life in prison and 22 others were sentenced to 15 years in jail. Three defendants were acquitted in the case.
The defendants were accused of killing the policemen in an ambush in August 2013, one month after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi by the military.
They were also accused of espionage for Al-Qaeda.
Habara is also accused of being involved in many other militant attacks including a major attack in Rafah in August 2012, which left 16 soldiers dead.
Militant attacks against the police and army have been increasing since the ouster of Morsi and the government crackdown on his supporters.
Over 600 security personnel have been reportedly killed since then.
