Egypt refers 48 ISIS suspects to military court for their involvement in Palm Sunday bombings

The Egyptian government has referred 48 suspected Islamic State militants to military court for their involvement in the Palm Sunday church bombings in April as well as the attack on a church in Cairo in December.

At least 46 people were killed in the suicide bombings at two Coptic churches in Tanta and Alexandria in April 2017, while 29 worshippers died as a result of the attack on St. Peter's Church in Cairo in December 2016. ISIS claimed responsibility for both incidents and vowed to carry out more attacks against Christians in Egypt.

According to a statement from the public prosecutor's office, the 48 suspects were responsible for setting up ISIS cells in Cairo and in the southern province of Qena.

Agence France-Presse reported that 31 of the 48 suspects are in custody, while 17 are still at large.

Public prosecutor Nabil Sadek said that some of the accused held leadership positions in ISIS. He also accused the suspects of receiving training from ISIS in Syria and Libya, and carrying out an attack on a checkpoint in Egypt's Western Desert that resulted in the deaths of eight policemen.

Previously, ISIS had limited its attacks on security forces in the Sinai Peninsula. However, the terror group appears to have expanded its operations, and it is increasingly targeting Christian civilians in recent months.

The terror group's local affiliate, known as the Sinai Province, has reportedly attempted to impose its strict interpretation of Islamic law on residents of North Sinai.

Sinai Province videos indicate that the group has created a morality police force, known as a Hisba, which is responsible for enforcing rules against certain behaviors like smoking, men shaving their beards or women exposing their faces.

About 175 families fled North Sinai earlier this year following the murder of seven Christians in three weeks beginning on Jan. 30. Some of the residents said that there were hit lists of local Christians that had been circulated online and pushed under doors.

Earlier this month, an unnamed ISIS leader in Egypt warned Muslims to avoid Christian gatherings and other government facilities, suggesting that the group will carry out attacks on what he referred to as "legitimate targets."

"We are warning you to stay away from Christian gatherings, as well as the gatherings of the army and the police, and the areas that have political government facilities," the leader said in an interview with ISIS weekly newspaper Al Naba.