Court jails 5 terrorists up to 10 years for al-Sabeen suicide bombing

The Court of First Instance on Wednesday passed sentences to 2-10 years in jail to five al-Qaeda militants for plotting a suicide bombing that killed 86 soldiers and wounded 171 others in al-Sabeen square last year. Headed by Judge Hilal Mehfel, the court sentenced two defendants to 10 years in prison, a third to seven years. Two more were imprisoned for three and two years respectively. All the jail sentences begin from the date of arrest. The judge also ordered the release of three other defendants based on the time already served, and acquitted three more. The 11 were accused of their alleged role in planning the suicide attack on a rehearsal for a military parade on May 21, 2012. The court proved the responsibility of the special forces and special security troops for protecting the rehearsal's forces and their negligence that facilitate the suicide attack. Therefore, the judge also ordered to question General Abdul-Malik al-Tayeb, Brigadier General Yahya Mohammed Abdullah Saleh and Colonel Abd Rabbo Meyad about the case, accusing them of contributing to carry out the attack and neglecting to do the duty of protecting the rehearsal's forces.