Egypt brands new extremist group as terrorist

Cairo, May 23: An Egyptian court ruled Thursday that a newly-established extremist Islamist group, which claimed responsibility for several recent bomb attacks, is "a terrorist group," state media reported.

The labelled self-proclaimed Ajnad Misr, or Soldiers of Egypt, formally announcing in January that it would target "criminal elements" in the military-backed government in retaliation for their crackdown on supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi, claimed it has carried out a series of blasts, Xinhua reported.

In April, the group said it carried out an explosion in Greater Cairo's Lebanon Square, killing a police officer and wounding another.

The Thursday ruling was issued by the Cairo Urgent Matters Court.

A lawyer has filed the lawsuit for enlisting Ajnad Misr as a terrorist group due to its responsibility for attacks and blasts targeting policemen, troops and common Egyptian people.

IANS