SEVEN members of a terrorist outfit who targeted a police patrol vehicle that was escorting an oil truck have been jailed.
The defendants, all Bahraini nationals, were found guilty in connection with pelting the police vehicle with Molotov cocktails as it was escorting the truck mere metres from a petrol station in Jidhafs on August 14 last year.
They also attempted to hurl the firebombs at the truck and targeted policemen with projectiles fired from modified fire-extinguishers.
Three of the defendants have been convicted of being part of a terrorist cell and arson and have been jailed for five years each by the High Criminal Court.
While the rest of the defendants were jailed for three years each for their part in the arson attack.
“The defendants were found guilty of the charges due to sufficient evidence presented against them,” said the High Criminal Court in its ruling.
“The defendants attempted to blow up the oil truck and that could have resulted in the petrol station also being blown up.
“They also targeted policemen with projectiles fired from modified fire-extinguishers outside the petrol station in Jidhafs.
“However, the defendants failed in their attempt (to blow up the truck) after policemen fired tear gas canisters at them.
“All the defendants were arrested following an investigation that led police to their identities and their involvement in the arson attack.”
One of the policemen who was inside the vehicle at the time of the arson attack previously told the court that a major disaster was averted when the defendants tried to set alight the vehicle and the oil truck near the petrol station.
He also said in his testimony that he could not make out the faces of the defendants because they were masked.
One of the defendants previously told prosecutors during questioning that he did not hurl the Molotov cocktails at the police vehicle, but admitted to filming the attack on his mobile phone.
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