Indian court sentences 5 to death in 2013 Hyderabad blasts

 An Indian court on Monday sentenced five people to death for the twin blasts in the southern city of Hyderabad in 2013, officials said.

"The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Hyderabad today pronounced death sentence to all five convicts in the Dilsuknagar twin bomb blast case," an official said. "The court in Cherlapally prison pronounced its judgment in the case this evening."

At least 18 people were killed and 130 others wounded in the two blasts at a packed shopping area in the city's Dilsukhnagar on Feb. 21, 2013.

"The convicts include Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal, Pakistani national Zia-ur-Rahman, Asadullah Akhtar, Tahaseen Akhtar and Aijaz Sheikh," the official said.

According to officials the prime accused in the case Riyaz Bhatkal was still absconding.

Indian authorities banned Indian Mujahideen in 2010.

source: Xinhua