RIYADH: A court in Saudi Arabia sentenced 13 people to prison for planning a series of attacks against US forces in Qatar and Kuwait, according to official news reports.

The group includes 11 Saudis, a Qatari and an Afghan national. They were given varying sentences of between 18 months to 30 years in prison.

The verdict was carried late on Tuesday by the official Saudi Press Agency and reported by other local media. The state news agency said the group planned to attack US troops in Qatar with grenades, rockets and mortar fire. It did not say when the attacks were planned.

The US conducts missions over Iraq from al-Udeid air base in Qatar. It also has bases in Kuwait.The Specialised Criminal Court in Riyadh, created to try terrorism cases, found the group guilty of planning to send someone to Iraq for training on how make car bombs to target foreigners in Qatar and Kuwait.

They were also found guilty of planning to carry out directives from Al Qaeda’s branch in Iraq.

The cell is comprised of 41 members, 38 of which are Saudi nationals. The remaining three are from Qatar, Afghanistan and Yemen.

One of the group’s alleged leaders, a Qatari national, received a 30-year prison sentence. Another cell leader, allegedly a Saudi national, was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2014