A Bahraini defense lawyer says a court in the Gulf island kingdom has sentenced eight people to life in prison for the murder of a policeman and an attempt to kill others in a bomb blast.

Defense lawyer Yousef Rabai told The Associated Press the eight were sentenced Sunday. The public prosecutor's office said the incident took place November of last year, northeast of the capital.

Bahrain has faced more than three years of unrest following an uprising dominated by the Shiite majority calling for greater rights and opportunities from the country's Sunni rulers. The tiny nation hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet.

Shiite activists frequently clash with police, and some radical protesters have used bombs against security forces.