CAIRO, Nov 20 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek has referred on Sunday 292 members of Sinai Province group to a military court over forming 22 terrorist cells.

The defendants are accused of “carrying out several terrorist attacks mostly in North Sinai, and planning to assassinate President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.”

According to a statement issued by the prosecutor general, 158 of the defendants have been arrested.

The statement said the defendants assassinated three judges in the town of al-Arish and targeted the hotel that was housing parliamentary election judges in North Sinai. They also had two plans to assassinate Sisi.

Egypt is battling an insurgency in North Sinai that peaked following the military ouster of former President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, after protests against his rule. 

In November 2014, Sinai-based militant group known as Sinai Province pledged allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, making Sinai one of the many territories in the region where the militant group has a foothold.