Zarqawi group members convicted

The US has put a $25m bounty on Zarqawi's head

Seven people have been convicted of carrying out attacks as part of the militant group al-Qaeda in Iraq, according to Iraq's justice ministry.

The first significant trials of members of the group, they took place within the last few weeks, the ministry said.

The three Iraqis and four foreign fighters were given sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is led by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and has been blamed for a string of suicide attacks.

The US military has put a $25m (£14m) bounty on Zarqawi's head.

The four foreign fighters came from Jordan, Syria and Algeria, the ministry said.

They and the three Iraqis were convicted of carrying out attacks in the cities of Baghdad and Mosul against both Iraqi government and US-led coalition forces, and helping foreign fighters enter Iraq.