BEIRUT: Leading members of the terrorist group Fatah al-Islam were sentenced to hard labor by the Beirut Criminal Court on Friday for robbing a branch of BLOM Bank in the neighborhood of Corniche al-Mazraa. Taha Haji Ahmad Suleiman and Shaker al-Abssi were sentenced, along with two other members of the group, for having robbed the bank using unlicensed weapons in April 2006. Suleiman escaped briefly from Roumieh prison two months ago before he was recaptured by the Internal Security Forces. Abssi was also accused of encouraging the other suspects of organizing the robbery, which the court said was meant to finance military operations against Israel. He also provided the suspects with military training at Fatah al-Islam locations inside Palestinian refugee camps. – The Daily Star