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Terror four 'made powerful bombs'Feb 18, 2013 (Gulf Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- FOUR Bahrainis arrested following the discovery of a bomb-making factory in Salmabad last June are accused of being part of a terrorist cell that manufactured high-powered explosives using a mixture of nitroglycerin, which is used to make dynamite, and nitrocellulose. Senior attorney-general Abdulrahman Al Sayed revealed in a statement yesterday that those materials were found along with ready-made bombs and instructions on how to make armour-piercing explosives and "Qassam" rockets developed by the military wing of Hamas. Police are also said to have found information on how to procure substances used to make explosives. The suspects were allegedly planning attacks on police and civilian targets. Raids were conducted on the Salmabad bomb-making factory and at two other locations used to hold meetings and store bomb-making tools and materials in Tashan and A'ali, added Mr Al Sayed. "These locations were searched as well as the homes of the accused, reliant upon permission from the Public Prosecution," he said in his statement. "The search resulted in finding ready-to-use explosives as well as tools, equipment and materials used in manufacturing, detonation devices in addition to records and other items that consisted of methods and techniques of manufacturing explosives. "The Public Prosecution ordered the taking of fingerprints and traces and appointing of specialised experts to examine the packages and materials found. "The Public Prosecution also ordered the taking of fingerprints and traces (from) suspects' homes. "Expert reports concluded that the packages found were explosives consisting of a mixture of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose, which is a highly explosive mixture classified as a type of dynamite. "The mixture is also considered highly explosive (and) highly destructive on properties and lives. "The mixture can be prepared from the materials found in the warehouse, which are in themselves chemical compounds usable in manufacturing some sort of highly explosive devices." Four men arrested in connection with the discovery will appear in the High Criminal Court for the first time on February 28. Five other men, who are still at large, will be tried in absentia. It is not clear whether they are part of the same terrorist cell that authorities announced they had foiled on Saturday with the arrest of eight men, who reportedly had links to Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. "Nine men, including five who are on the run, will stand trial for allegedly being part of a terrorist group, putting the kingdom in danger and subverting order, breaching public order, jeopardising the kingdom's integrity and joining an illicit organisation," said Mr Al Sayed. "The factory was used as a warehouse to produce explosives for the purpose of using them in implementing their plots in terms of targeting policemen and civilians to destabilise the country and to damage its economic components." Dr Al Sayed claimed that DNA evidence linked the suspects to the bomb factories. "Also, upon unloading the electronic memory which was found with the accused it turned out that it contained video clips and lessons on how to manufacture bombs, explosives substances, Al Qassam rockets, anti-armour packages and techniques for procurement of substances usable in their manufacturing," he said. Arrest warrants have been issued for the five suspects still at large in connection with the discovery. Authorities previously announced that five tonnes of materials used in making bombs and 110 litres of chemicals were seized from the bomb-making factory in Salmabad. Forensic experts from London's Metropolitan Police were flown in to assist with the investigation. Mr Al Sayed revealed some of the suspects were allegedly behind explosions near the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, in Sanabis, in 2001. "After the detectives followed up the activities of the accused, it turned out that some of them were behind the explosions which took place near the exhibition centre on November 22, 2001," he said. "They prepared two explosive packages from those which had been manufactured, planted them near the centre and remotely detonated (them) using a mobile phone and a wireless bell in order to spread fright and panic amongst the people and to disrupt an event organised at the exhibition centre at that time. "This resulted in damaging a number of nearby cars and also damaged a house located near the explosion location." [email protected] ___ (c)2013 the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) Visit the Gulf Daily News (Manama, Bahrain) at www.gulf-daily-news.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |