Cairo – Egyptian authorities on Monday decided to try a terror ring before a criminal court on charges of plotting for terrorist attacks.

Prosecution investigations in northeastern Egypt revealed that ring members received training from leaders affiliated with terror group ISIS.

“Among the accused were those who visited the Sinai Peninsula, received training by ISIS leaders and were tasked with carrying out terrorist attacks,” investigation findings read.

The terror suspects awaiting trial were residents of al-Janayen neighborhood in Suez, a seaport city in northeastern Egypt and were affiliated with extremist religious groups before joining ISIS.

“Investigations by Suez national security taskforces confirmed that there are among the nine culprits, a major financier, who is accused of funding the cell,” security sources said.

In the meantime, Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah (Egyptian Islamic fatwa council) addressed a video upload by the ISIS offshoot known as the “Sinai Wilaya”.

Video footage showed killing, severing of hands, the demolition of grave sites, the destruction and burning of televisions and cars and others, under a self-derived pretext on implementing Sharia law. ISIS in Sinai has declared itself an official representative of “Hisbah”, which is religious policing.

The Egyptian fatwa body said that “Hisbah” is an Islamic doctrine that means “accountability,” and is the divinely-sanctioned duty of the ruler (government) to intervene and “enjoin good and forbid wrong” to keep everything in order. I therefore outlawed ISIS’ self-styled implementation of the doctrine.

The statement issued by Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah also pointed out that the doctrine has already been fulfilled by values carried out by modern-day state institutions, such as the national Army, national Department of Justice and other government constituencies. “Hisbah” is now represented by public sector workers entrusted by the government.

More so, the statement stressed that extremist groups aim at undermining national statehood and creating a parallel state. Terror groups spur strife in tense areas to disrupt and distract government forces fighting their agenda. The public must not heed to ISIS’ proclamations or be swayed by them, especially when they are the furthest away from true teachings of Islam, it added.