Egypt Executes 6 Young Men Convicted of Killing Soldiers

An Egyptian prison official says six men sentenced to death by a military court have been executed.

The six men executed on Sunday were convicted of killing two military officers in an hour-long battle with police, military and special forces during a raid on a suspected bomb factory north of Cairo in March 2014.

Judicial officials say they were also convicted of belonging to the Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which has since pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

Amnesty International had called for a retrial in a civilian court, saying ``at least three of the men were held in secret at the time of the crime they have been sentenced for.''