Yemen court sentences 3 militants to up to 6 years

[December 22, 2012]  SANAA, Yemen (AP) -- Yemen's state security court has sentenced three al-Qaida militants to up to six years in prison for planning attacks on security forces, foreign diplomatic missions and state institutions.

The court on Saturday gave the three militants between two and six years each. They have the right to appeal.

The judge also accused the three of running a training camp for al-Qaida in the southern Abyan province in 2011. He didn't provide further details on the alleged targets.

The court released four others who had already spent about 18 months in detention. The militants earlier denied the charges.

Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi has ordered trials for dozens of al-Qaida suspects held without charges for over a year.

Washington considers al-Qaida's Yemen branch as the militant group's most dangerous.

[Associated Press; By AHMED AL-HAJ]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.