The prosecutor general referred on Saturday 20 men to criminal court, charging them with killing three police officers one citizen, as well as other terrorism charges.

The men are believed to be members of the militant group Agnad Misr, which has claimed responsibility for several bombings in Sinai and Cairo in the past year.

Security forces arrested 14 of the 20 defendants, including the alleged leader of Agnad Misr, believed to have recruited 18 members of the group with the help of another leading member. The Prosecutor General issued an arrest warrant for the remaining six defendants.

Eight of the defendants allegedly admitted crimes of: murder, attempted murder, possession of explosives, vandalising public property and attempting to bomb public and military institutions, including the Suez Canal, according to a statement from the prosecution’s office.

The prosecution accused Agnad Misr of planting bombs in 20 different locations around Cairo since the 30 June protests last year which ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. It also accused the militant group of targeting police and army men and attempting to kill them, as well as injuring over 100 security personnel and citizens.

Agnad Misr warned people in late June to stay away from the vicinity of the Presidential Palace. The group had pledged to place two explosive devices at the stated location. On the first anniversary of the 30 June protests, a series of explosions went off outside the Itihadiya Palace in Heliopolis, killing two police explosives experts and injuring other policemen.

The militant group also claimed responsibility for a triple blast outside Cairo University in April that claimed the life of one police officer.

Egypt has been adopting the rhetoric of waging a “war on terrorism” since Morsi’s ouster last July, which was closely followed by a militant insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula targeting security officials. It soon spread to other parts of the country, including the capital.