CAIRO, Dec 6 (Aswat Masriya) – The Cairo Criminal Court sentenced on Saturday jihadist Adel Habara and six others to death for killing 25 soldiers in Rafah in August last year.

Militants ambushed a bus in Sinai and shot dead 25 Central Security conscripts after they forced them to leave their transportation on August 19, 2013.

Three more defendants were sentenced to life in prison. The court sentenced 22 others to 15 years in prison and acquitted three defendants.

The death sentences were served after consulting Egypt’s Grand Mufti. 

The defendants were accused of “committing terrorist acts”, premeditated murder of the 25 conscripts, spying for al-Qaeda group and establishing an illegal group attempting to stall the constitution and state institutions.

Habara has been sentenced to death in absentia before for complicity in two terrorist bombings in Sinai in 2004 and 2006.