MANAMA, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- A High Military Court in Bahrain on Monday issued a verdict in a high profile case of 18 members of a terrorist cell who planned to assassinate the country's top military chief, with six sentenced to death.

Ten of the defendants appeared in the court while eight fugitives are at large in Bahrain or abroad including Iran, authorities said on Monday.

"The defendants were accused with the formation of a terrorist cell, attempting to assassinate the Bahrain Defence Force(BDF) Commander-in-Chief and committing other terrorist crimes," said a statement posted on Bahrain News Agency.

The court also convicted and sentenced seven defendants to seven years' incarceration and stripped their Bahraini nationality, and acquitted five others.

The trial is the first of its kind since constitutional amendments were passed allowing military courts to try civilians accused of threatening the security of the state.