Twenty-four facing trial in Bahrain for ‘forming local ISIL branch’

They are also accused of "possessing weapons and explosives for terrorist aims, in addition to promoting the overthrow of the [Bahraini] regime”.

MANAMA // Twenty-four people are facing trial in Bahrain accused of forming a local ISIL branch, plotting attacks and recruiting fighters for the extremist group, the country’s public prosecutor says.

The defendants were charged on Wednesday following investigations into the formation of a “branch for a terrorist group ... the so-called Daesh”, said prosecutor Ahmed Al Hammadi.

Their charges include “forming a branch for a terrorist group ... joining it, possessing weapons and explosives for terrorist aims, in addition to promoting the overthrow of the [Bahraini] regime”.

Among the accused are 16 people who are still at large.

One of the defendants is accused of recruiting two others into ISIL, and helping one of them to travel to Syria where he received military training by extremists.

The pair were also tasked with recruiting others who joined ISIL abroad.

The wider group also “plotted suicide attacks by members in Bahrain against worship places, like the attacks by the terrorist group in neighbouring countries,” Mr Al Hammadi said in an apparent reference to attacks on Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia.

Last week a previously unknown group calling itself Bahrain Province claimed responsibility for a deadly shooting attack on Shiite worshippers in eastern Saudi Arabia.

Mr Al Hammadi said authorities received information in February that the alleged militants were training in Syria.

A court hearing has been set for December 22.

* Associated Press, Agence France-Presse