Security forces arrested Sunday 12 individuals accused of belonging to the banned Muslim Brotherhood group, according to a Ministry of Interior statement. The suspects were also reportedly in possession of documents detailing plans to commit terrorism as well as weapons and ammunition. They face a long list of charges, including inciting violence and engaging in terrorist activities. Security forces also arrested 52 "medium-ranking" Muslim Brotherhood members Saturday evening. The Muslim Brotherhood was branded a terrorist organisation by the Egyptian government last year. This has resulted in a severe crackdown on the Islamist movement's members and its supporters. The arrests came almost a week after the assassination of Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat in a Cairo explosion. The murder was the first of a top public official in over two decades. A series of bombings and shootings followed the attack. Two days after the assassination, five security checkpoints were ambushed in North Sinai in an unprecedented simultaneous attack. The High Judicial Council approved Sunday a draft terrorism law by the cabinet. The law awaits ratification by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi. The Sinai attacks were claimed by the "Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis" militant group. The group, which changed its name to "State of Sinai" after pledging allegiance to the self-proclaimed "Islamic State", has claimed much of the violence in the Sinai Peninsula. Other groups, such as "Ajnad Misr" and "Giza Popular Resistance" have claimed attacks in urban areas, including the capital Cairo. The Egyptian military has been grappling with an insurgency mainly focused in North Sinai since early 2011. An insurgency has been brewing in the region since shortly after the overthrow of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak. The violence surged following the ouster of Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood. He was overthrown by then-army chief, now-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi following mass protests against his rule.
