The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Sana

A Yemeni court convicted Wednesday 32 al-Qaida suspects of planning attacks on oil and gas installations in the country, sentencing them to prison terms of up to 15 years. Four others were acquitted.

Six of those convicted remain at large and were tried in absentia. The prosecution had charged the group, all from Yemen, with forming an armed gang and planning attacks against oil installations with rocket-propelled grenades in September 2006.

The trial opened in March and authorities did not disclose when or how they were arrested. Three of them claimed they were tortured and forced to sign confessions, according to Yemeni official news agency SABA.

Among those who claimed duress was Abu Bakr al-Rubaei, the top suspect. He had allegedly confessed that he and others planned to carry out terrorist operations targeting Western and U.S. interests and homes of foreign diplomats in the country.