A German court has convicted five men as terrorists of the Islamic State. They face up to 9.5 years in prison.

According to the judge, the men formed a terrorist cell led by IS.

They allegedly planned to carry out attacks in Germany. Two years ago, the police prevented the terrorists from murdering an Islam critic from Neuss.

The men come from Tajikistan and are between 25 and 34 years old. They lived in different towns in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Another member of the terror cell was sentenced to seven years in prison last year.