A MAN was allegedly assigned to prepare more than 50 homemade bombs that were used to target schools, banks and sports clubs across Bahrain.
The 35-year-old Bahraini is standing trial at the High Criminal Court along with 39 other people accused of being part of a terrorist cell.
However, only 20 of the defendants who are in police custody appeared in court while the rest are at large and are being tried in absentia.
All the defendants, Bahraini nationals aged between 18 and 44, are facing charges of joining terrorist cells, receiving illicit funds, possessing explosives and receiving militia training.
Three of them, who are known fugitives at large in Iran, are accused of being the masterminds of the group, while another three – aged 20, 21, 22 – are accused of recruiting the others.
They are also said to have ordered the other defendants to plant bombs targeting key establishments during National Day celebrations in 2018.
However, the attacks were thwarted when police uncovered and defused a bomb that was planted near an oil pipeline in Sitra on December 10, 2018.
One of the alleged bomb-makers described how one of his co-defendants recruited him into the outlawed Al Wafa Islamic Movement and assigned him to prepare homemade bombs.
“A friend (a co-defendant aged 25) told me I could join Al Wafa Islamic Movement,” he said in his statement to prosecutors.
“I agreed and was told to make bombs and detonators.
“I then made more than 50 bombs that we could detonate via a mobile phone signal. We then planted them in several areas in the country targeting schools, banks and oil pipelines.
“One of the bombs that I planted in Ma’ameer did not explode.
“I waited on the rooftop of my grandfather’s house, and my friend and I watched policemen arrive at the area of the planted bomb.
“However, after it failed to explode we collected the bomb and exploded it.
“We then planted another bomb in Sitra targeting another oil pipeline but that also failed to explode.”
A police detective, who investigated the group, previously said the defendants had planned to carry out explosions targeting banks, schools, post offices and sports clubs across the country.
He added that the defendants were part of separate terrorist cells operating under the same group and receiving orders from the three masterminds abroad. The trial has been adjourned until tomorrow for review.
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