CAIRO, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court issued preliminary death sentences to 10 people on Wednesday after they were convicted of joining an outlawed group, official Ahram Online website reported.

The defendants were charged with joining the banned Muslim Brotherhood group that aims to obstruct state institutions from carrying out their duties, as well as attacking state institutions from 2013 to March 2015, the report said.

The preliminary death sentence has been referred to the country's grand mufti for a consultative non-binding opinion as per Egypt's penal code.

A final verdict will be issued on March 10.

The defendants were also charged with targeting Christians in terrorist attacks, destabilizing society and planning to attack police and military personnel.

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 killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers in restive North Sinai province northeast of Cairo before they gradually extended to other provinces and started to target dozens of the Coptic minority with church bombings.

Most of the attacks were claimed by the so-called Wilayat Sinai (Sinai state or province), a Sinai-based group affiliated with the regional Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.