A Bahraini police officers stands guard outside of Shiite Muslim mosque ahead of mid-day prayers during the holy month of Ramadan in the western village of Karzakan, Bahrain, Friday, July 3, 2015. (AP)
Bahrain arrests Iran-linked terror suspects
The interior ministry said it had foiled several attempts by Iranian-backed terrorists in the country
The Bahraini Interior Ministry confirmed Thursday it had arrested five individuals suspected of conducting a bomb attack in Bahrain, according to the country’s official news agency.
The ministry added that a further five people, who received financing and training from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah in Iraq, had also been identified in connection with the incident.
In July, a bomb exploded in the Bahraini village of Sitra, killing two people and wounding six others.
The bombing outside a girls’ school in the Shiite village of Sitra, was the first in Bahrain for several months, and the worst since March 2014, when a blast killed three policemen. Iranian officials have not commented on Tuesday’s bombing.
The ministry also said it had foiled attempts by Iranian-backed terrorists in the country, according to the news agency.
Speaking about the arrest, Bahrain’s Chief of Police, Major-General Tariq Al-Hasan said: “Police investigations have found that those arrested had connections to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, as well as Hezbollah, and have been linked to a number of terrorist incidents in Bahrain over recent years.”
“Forensic tests of the Sitra bombsite indicate that high-grade explosives (C4) were used,” he said.
“This is yet another disturbing incident in which Iranian actions are attempting to undermine security and stability within Bahrain,” he added.
Al-Hasan said: “Statements provided by those arrested have already led to the discovery of various bombs and bomb making materials, including a ready-to-use bomb containing C4, remote controls, firearms, and other bomb making materials.”
