DUBAI: Bahrain’s coast guard arrested eight men convicted or wanted on “terrorism” charges as they tried to escape to Iran by speedboat, the Bahraini news agency reported on Sunday.
The men were intercepted along with two smugglers after setting off from the tiny Gulf kingdom toward the Iranian coast, the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said.
The agency published the men’s names and said that seven had been sentenced to between 10 to 15 years in prison for “terrorism” activity and the eighth one was wanted also on terrorism charges, it said.
The men’s attempt to cross the 193 kilometer (120 mile) stretch of water to the Iranian coast was planned by two Bahraini fugitives, BNA said.
One of the men has been convicted to life and the other to 10 years in prison, it said, adding that both had escaped previously to Iran.
The incident follows a jailbreak late on Friday in which 17 prisoners fled Al-Hadd jail near the dry dock on the island of Muharraq, east of the capital Manama.
Bahrain lies across the Gulf from Iran and is home to the US Navy’s Fifth fleet.
Relations between the two neighbors are tense and Manama has repeatedly accused Tehran of interfering in its affairs and inciting violence in the country.
Bahrain arrests 8 'terrorists' fleeing to Iran by speedboat
Bahrain arrests 8 'terrorists' fleeing to Iran by speedboat
