- Title: BAHRAIN: Five bomb blasts hit Bahraini capital, at least two killed.
- Date: 5th November 2012
- Summary: CHIEF OF POLICE, TARIQ HASAN ESSA, TAKING SEAT FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CHIEF OF POLICE, TARIQ HASAN ESSA, SAYING: "We are giving this statement in this news conference about the terror act which took place this morning in the Adliya, Gudaibiya and Hoora areas of the capital. Two Asian men were killed in the area of Gudaibiya. One person was critically inj
- Embargoed: 20th November 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Bahrain
- Country: Bahrain
- Topics: Crime
- Reuters ID: LVAAGV9FYE9CUPIXS1ZJS34OE1OO
- Story Text: Five bombs explode in the heart of the Bahraini capital Manama, killing two Asian street cleaners and possibly a third person.
Five bombs exploded in the heart of the Bahraini capital Manama on Monday (November 5), killing two Asian street cleaners, officials said, and prompting mutual accusations from activists and a government trying to put down a mostly Shi'ite pro-democracy uprising.
The Interior Ministry said the bombs were homemade and described the blasts as "terrorist acts" - its term for violence by opposition activists.
But an opposition politician and a rights activist said the attacks, which came days after the government said it had banned all rallies and opposition gatherings to ensure public safety, could have been the work of government forces trying to justify the ban or a further crackdown.
Injuries to protesters or police are relatively common in the 21-month-old uprising, but attacks on the public have been rare on the Gulf island, where the Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa dynasty rules over a majority Shi'ite population.
The explosions took place between 4:30 and 9:30 a.m. (0130-0630 GMT) in the Qudaibiya and Adliya districts of Manama, the BNA agency said, citing a police official.
One of the attacks took place outside a cinema, where one of the street cleaners died when he kicked a package that blew up. A witness said that blast caused little material damage, suggesting it had not been large.
Police chief Tariq Hasan Essa confirmed that two Asian men were killed.
"We are giving this statement in this news conference about the terror act which took place this morning in the Adliya, Gudaibiya and Hoora areas of the capital. Two Asian men were killed in the area of Gudaibiya. One person was critically injured in Adliya."
It was reported locally later in the evening that the third person also died from his injuries.
The police chief also said it was too early to give more details about the attacks.
"Don't forget we've been having these IEDs since the beginning of the year. It has nothing to do with the ban or anything else. However, there are a number of suspects that we are now trying to identify and arrest and the investigation will give more details. I can not give any more details right now, as I said, it's too early. It's too early to speculate."
Police say they have been the target of numerous attacks with homemade bombs since April, including one that killed a policeman last month, as the government has stepped up efforts to quell an uprising that has crippled the economy.
Opposition politician Matar Matar of the Shi'ite party Wefaq said he doubted that opposition activists were behind Monday's attacks, noting that leading Shi'ite clerics had called on followers to avoid escalating the conflict with the government.
He suggested the police or military might have been responsible, or a rogue unit.
Shi'ites complain of discrimination in the electoral system, jobs, housing and education, and say they are mistreated by government departments, the police and the army. Government promises of action to address their concerns have come to nothing, they say. The authorities deny this. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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