DUBAI:

A Bahrain court sentenced 17 men to jail terms ranging from several years to life imprisonment on charges of forming a terrorist cell, the public prosecutor said on Thursday, days after a police raid killed five demonstrators.

Both the court ruling and Tuesday’s police operation targeting a village outside the capital Manama signal a strong line by the Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom against the mostly Shi’ite opposition amid increased sectarian tensions. (RTRS)