the Baghdad criminal court sentenced two al-Qaeda leaders to death.

the Baghdad criminal court sentenced two al-Qaeda leaders to death. The two leaders confessed to their involvement in terrorist operations that killed or wounded hundreds of citizens, officials told Mawtani. "The death sentences against two al-Qaeda leaders were issued after evidence [was given] and witnesses testified," said Muwafaq Ali Zaalan, representative to the public prosecution at the Baghdad criminal court in al-Rasafa. "After that, the defendants collapsed at the court and confessed to a number of crimes." The convicts' crimes include targeting a wedding in 2009 and killing about 60 people using a car bomb and an improvised explosive device (IED), west of Baghdad, in the same year, he said. Zaalan said the sentence can be appealed within 30 days of the date it was issued. The names of the two convicted terrorists will be released after the sentence is finalised, he added.