Four jailed for bombing British embassy

Four Yemenis were convicted today of last year’s bombing of the British Embassy in San'a and sentenced to between four and 15…

Four Yemenis were convicted today of last year’s bombing of the British Embassy in San'a and sentenced to between four and 15 years in prison.

The Yemeni court in San'a, the capital, said the men planned and carried out the bombing, which shattered windows and damaged a generator at the embassy in the city, but caused no casualties.

The British Embassy was bombed a day after the United States warship Cole was attacked by suicide terrorists in the southern port of Aden. The Cole attack killed 17 sailors and injured 39.

The two main defendants in the embassy bombing, Abu Bakr Gaiyul and Ahmed Masoud, were each sentenced to 15 years in prison.

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A third defendant, Salem Salam, was sentenced to six years and Faris Saleh was given four years.

The court also ordered that Masoud be handed over to the prosecutor general to investigate his role in the bombing the house of a former interior minister in January. No one was injured in that blast.

The court also ordered the four to pay compensation to the embassy and residents of neighbouring houses for damage caused by the blast. It was not clear when the damage amount would be assessed.

Following the verdict and sentencing, the four men filed an appeal.

AP