Egypt's Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadek said in a statement on Sunday that the prosecution has referred 278 defendants who belong to the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group to military court on charges of leading and joining the two banned armed groups Hasm and Lewaa El-Thawra, which are affiliated with the Brotherhood.

The general prosecution said the group, which includes 141 people in precautionary detention, have carried out 12 terrorist operations in several governorates through cluster cells affiliated with the two terrorist groups, which targeted and killed police officers, manufactured car bombs to use in terrorist operations, and targeted vital and economic installations and public figures.

According to investigations carried out by the High State Security prosecution, the defendants supplied the two groups with money, explosives, weaponry and ammunition, and other forms of logistical support.

The statement said that according to investigations by the National Security Agency at the Ministry of Interior, fugitive Brotherhood leaders in Turkey plotted with fugitive members of the group in Egypt to rebuild its armed wing to carry out hostile acts against members of the Egyptian judiciary, police, army, public figures; as well as obstruct the country's economic reform program and topple state institutions. 

Fifty-two of the defendants have provided the prosecution with detailed confessions of their crimes, the statement said, adding that some of the defendants received military and technical training in Sudan on the manufacturing of explosives.

The prosecution said that the defendants were found in possession of 100 machine guns, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, 70 explosive devices, 13 landmines, seven cars, and military uniforms.

The High State Security Prosecution said the Brotherhood has assembled its members in 17 governorates nationwide under the name Hasm and Lewaa El-Thawra to plot terrorist attacks.

According to the statement, Brotherhood leaders have provided both financial and logistical support for members of the armed groups, providing them with 25 locations to manufacture and store explosives.

Three of these locations, which were discovered in Beheira and Alexandria governorates, were used to store weaponry and nearly a tonne of the highly explosive material RDX, as well as vehicles to be fitted with bombs for terrorist attacks.

The statement said that these groups have carried out assassinations and attempted assassinations against policemen, governors, and public figures in Daqahliya, Fayoum, and Damietta.

Hasm has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly attacks against Egyptian security personnel since 2016, mostly targeting police checkpoints, policemen, and public figures.

In 2016, Hasm claimed responsibility for the assassination of a senior policeman in Fayoum. It also claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt against former Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa outside a mosque in 6 October City in August 2017.

Over the past year, Egypt's interior ministry has said that security forces have killed and arrested dozens of Hasm members in shootouts during security raids.

Meanwhile, Lewaa Al-Thawra has claimed responsibility for the October 2017 assassination of a high-ranking army officer outside his home in Qalyoubia governorate.