Bahrain, Jul 7 (GDN): TWO Bahrainis convicted of plotting a terrorist attack with a homemade bomb were yesterday each jailed for 10 years. The men, aged 24 and 19, did not show up in the High Criminal Court for the verdict and a warrant was issued for their arrest.

They were granted bail at an earlier hearing.

They were standing trial for their role in a botched terror plot, which went wrong when the bomb exploded as it was being transported in a car.

Moosa Jaffar Khalil Ebrahim, 30, who was said to be holding the bomb in his lap, died when it went off.

The 24-year-old defendant, who was driving the car, lost both his eyes and a hand in the blast and suffered other serious injuries.

The men were on their way to pick up the 19-year-old defendant when the bomb exploded outside Mr Ebrahim's home, in Daih, on April 30 last year.

The defendants were charged with plotting terrorist attacks on Exhibition Avenue and making explosives.

Judges denied claims made by the defence team that the men were physically abused during police questioning, saying their injuries were related to the incident.

The men's relatives earlier took the stand defending them and pleading their innocence.

The 24-year-old's sisters claimed they had never met his 19-year-old co-defendant.

The other defendant's parents also claimed there were physical signs that he had been abused in custody.

However, prosecutors objected to the claims and said there was no evidence of abuse in the medical examiner's report.

Lawyers responded by claiming the defendant was not seen by a medical examiner immediately after the incident.