Spain's national court on Thursday indicted 11 South Asians for plotting a suicide attack against public transportation in Barcelona, northeast of the country.
Ismael Moreno, judge of the National Audience court for anti-terrorism, charged them with forming an armed terrorist group and possessing explosives, even though the amount of explosives seized "didn't have the capacity to produce large damage."
The 11 suspects -- nine born in Pakistan, one in India and one whose nationality was not given -- had planned to conduct suicide attacks in January 18-20, but 14 of the group were arrested before the attack.
The charged could face up to about 20 years in prison if found guilty.
"Three of the suspects had been tasked to carry suicide bombs, and other three were explosive experts," Moreno said. "Their group was about to accomplish a highly technical capacity in explosive devices, with which they intended to commit several suicide attacks against public transportation in Barcelona."
The charges were based on the declarations of witnesses and the judge has enforced an international warrant of arrest for other suspects.
Spanish authorities have carried out operations against radical Islamists since Al-Qaida bombed trains in Madrid on March 11, 2004,killing 191 people and injuring 1,800.
Source:Xinhua
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