Five young American Muslims who Pakistani police say left their homes and families in suburban Virginia last year to link up with extremist groups in Pakistan were convicted Thursday on charges of plotting terrorist attacks and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The five men had said that they wanted only to carry out humanitarian work in Afghanistan, but Pakistani authorities alleged that the group had clear targets in mind in Pakistan, including an air force base in the city of Mianwali and a nuclear power plant in Chashma.