An Egyptian court convicted 26 men on Wednesday of spying for Hezbollah and plotting attacks on Egyptian soil on behalf of the Lebanese militant group.

The men, including Lebanese, Egyptians, Palestinians and one Sudanese, received sentences ranging from six months to life in prison.

Four of the accused men, including ringleader Mohammed Qiblan, are still at large and were tried in absentia.

The verdict by Egypt's Emergency State Security Court can't be appealed and can only be overturned by a decree from President Hosni Mubarak.

Hezbollah officials declined to comment on the sentencing Wednesday.

The Web site of the movement's TV station wrote that the convicted men denied the accusations in court.

The sentencing comes amid heightened regional tensions after Israeli and U.S. officials alleged that Syria has been transferring increasingly sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, including potentially long-range Scud missiles.

Syrian, Hezbollah and Lebanese government officials have denied the accusations of a Scud transfer.