THIRTEEN men have been jailed for being part of a major terror cell and planning several attacks across Bahrain.
A 14th defendant was found not guilty due to lack of evidence.
The Bahrainis, whose ages range from 21 to 37, were yesterday found guilty by the High Criminal Court of being part of Saraya Al Ashtar (Al Ashtar Brigades) since 2019.
They are said to have planned several attacks in the country, including bombings of ATM machines in Jidhafs and Naim in February this year.
Four of the defendants were jailed for life, which means a 25-year prison sentence in Bahrain, for setting up the terror cell.
The men, who are at large in Iran, are also said to have recruited Bahrainis to train and makes explosives, and store them in a stable.
Four others were handed a 15-year prison sentence for being part of the illicit group – including a 23-year-old who was also found guilty of funding the terrorist cell.
The 23-year-old was fined BD100,000.
Three defendants were jailed for 10 years, one accused was sentenced to five years in jail while the 13th defendant has been jailed for three years for aiding and abetting.
Seven of the defendants were said to have received militia training in camps belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Iran last year.
The masterminds included two twin brothers, 24, who helped their co-defendants train on AK-47 assault rifles, sniper rifles, machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).
During a raid, authorities uncovered explosives stored in a stable in Karranah.
“Thirteen of the defendants have been found guilty of the charges due to sufficient evidence against them,” read the court ruling.
“Four of them are at large and helped recruit and train their co-defendants in camps belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in Iran.
“They also planned to carry out bombings of ATMs in Jidhafs and Naim in February.
“The defendants also bought a boat which they docked at the Karranah coast to smuggle explosives into Bahrain by sea.
“A 14th defendant was found not guilty of joining the illicit group due to lack of evidence.”
During the trial,a detective described how a bomb squad was dispatched to deal with an explosive device planted in an ATM in Naim in a backpack.
“We received information about an abandoned backpack in an ATM in Naim,” he told prosecutors.
“We then found out that an explosive device was in it.
“A bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and the area outside the ATM was cordoned off.
“We then confiscated the explosive device which consisted of a detonator and an electric circuit.”
Saraya Al Ashtar is among three major terrorist groups in Bahrain, along with Saraya Al Mukhtar and Saraya Al Muqawama Al Sha’abya (Popular Resistance Brigades), which together operated a major terror network in the country under the name Bahraini Hizbollah and have taken responsibility for several deadly attacks on security forces since 2011.
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