UAE: Group 'planned New Year Eve attacks on tourists'

A group of 41 men are on trial in the UAE for allegedly planning attacks on tourist areas on New Year's Eve last year, after setting up a military-style camp in the desert.

The group are charged with belonging to Shabab Al Manara, an illegal organisation that aimed to create a caliphate in the UAE, reported the UAE's National.

Five of the defendants featured in a film shot in the Rifaa desert in Ras al Khaimah that was shown to the court.

The footage showed the winter camp that the group had set up to "give lectures, play sports and train with weapons by shooting cups".

One of the defendants featured in the film said the group's objective was to commit violent acts that would allow it to take over the government.

Two of the defendants admitted they starred in the film but said the audio recording of their voices had been altered.

The prosecutors said this was an exceptional case due to its events and the level of criminal danger.

The group planned to bomb nightclubs, hotels and other tourist areas in Dubai

"The case started with K A K [one of the defendants], who was trying to take over the leadership to create a caliphate. However, he failed to see the terrorism it would create in the country. He used Al Manara mosque and Al Arqam school to spread his ideals and established the group in order to achieve authority," said the prosecutor.

"He planned on wrecking malls, centres and towers, one of which was planned to take place on the eve of new year last year, but the group were arrested."

The group are alleged to have smuggled weapons, and communicated with and financially aided "international terrorist groups" to ensure their later reciprocal support. They also trained in using weapons, and read books on how to take over the country's leadership and destroy non-Muslims, the prosecution added.

Members of the group reportedly learnt how to shoot at paintball clubs in Dubai and al Ain.

One of the defendants was said to have paid more than $5,000 for three remote-controlled bombs, and two others were trained to operate the bombs, said the prosecution.

Weapons and ammunition were also reportedly stored in the al Warqa district of Dubai.

The group planned to bomb nightclubs, hotels and other tourist areas in Dubai and hoped for support from the Salafist jihadi al-Ansar movement in Iran, the prosecution added.

The case was adjourned for further hearings on 20 and 27 December, and 3 January 2016.

Authorities reported the men's arrest on 2 August.

Their trial opened in August at the state security court in Abu Dhabi, but the international press was barred from attending.

The UAE is part of a US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria since September 2014.

In July 2015, it adopted tougher anti-terror legislation and introduced the death penalty for crimes linked to religious hatred and "takfiri" radical Islamic groups.

These measures were taken a week after an Emirati woman convicted of the extremist-inspired murder of a US schoolteacher was put to death by firing squad, in a rare execution in the UAE.