CAIRO, May 12 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Sunday two defendants to death over charges of attacking a church in Cairo in 2017.

Two other defendants were sentenced to life in prison, four to 10 years in jail and two to three years, official MENA news agency reported.

The court said the defendants attacked Mar Mina church and a neighboring shop owned by a Christian man in Cairo's Helwan district in December 2017, killing seven Christians and a policeman.

They were also accused of killing another Christian man in the same district in 2016.

The court also convicted the defendants of establishing, leading, joining and funding an extremist terrorist group.

They were also found guilty of making and possessing a bomb and attempting to use it against residents of Helwan district in Cairo.

Terrorism prevailed in Egypt since the military ousted former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in early July 2013 in response to mass protests against his 12-month reign and his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Terror attacks had killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in restive North Sinai province northeastern Cairo before they gradually extended to other provinces, where dozens of civilians, mainly Christians, were killed.