Egypt’s prosecutor-general referred six defendants to the Supreme State Security Emergency Criminal Court on Saturday on charges of creating a Daesh-affiliated terrorist cell.

The defendants were detained in the Nile Delta governorate of Gharbiya after being accused of planning an attack on StMary’s Coptic OrthodoxChurch in Mahalla during Christmas celebrations in 2017.

Ammunition, explosive material, and weaponry were also found in the possession of the accused.

The prosecution charged the defendants with a number of crimes, includingestablishing and joining a terrorist organisation in which aims to subvert the law and the constitution.

Defendants are also accused of embracing “takfiri”ideologies, which encourage the idea of declaring the ruling as infidel thus legitimizing his ouster.

The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to hardline Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

The prosecution said they were accused of allegedly attacking the members of the armed forces and the police as well as Christian citizens and their churches.

The defendants arealsoaccused of funding the Daesh-affiliatedorganisation that they created.

Initial investigation reports of the defendants show that the cell members have received orders to create an affiliate terrorist group to Daesh in Mahalla to propagate their ideologyon the internet.

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