Bahrain deploys further forces in coming days to confront protests

Source : Xinhua | English.news.cn

MANAMA, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Bahraini authorities announced Thursday that it would deploy additional forces in the coming days to counter any threats following a series of violent protests that left several policemen injured.

Public Security Chief, Maj. Gen. Tariq Al Hassan said that the security forces recorded several incidents of attacking police officers and citizens along with destroying property and blocking roads during protests that were held on the eve of the second anniversary of anti-government protests in Bahrain.

"Most incidents involved small groups of rioters who were quickly dispersed before they could gather into larger groups, but several police officers were injured, including those who ... required hospital cares," said Hassan.

He pointed out that "the most violent group gathered at around 8 a.m. in Daih village as 300 rioters assembled to attack police with rocks, steel rods and Molotov cocktails."

"Warning shots were fired but failed to disperse the advancing crowd who continued their attack. Officers fired birdshot to defend themselves. At least one rioter was injured and a short time later, a young man was pronounced dead at Salmaniya Medical Complex," Hassan said, adding that an immediate investigation was launched into the death of the teenager, who was identified as Hussain Ali Al Jazeeri from Daih village.

Hassan warned the people of exploiting the death of the teenager for political purposes or in order to spark riots in the country.

Meanwhile, masked men stormed into a number of schools in the country in recent days, the Education Ministry said Wednesday in a statement.

They threatened the schools' administrative staff and obliged them to leave their schools and then closed the gates with locks and chains in order to prevent teachers and students from entering them.

The Education Ministry condemned in the strongest words such illegal actions and described them as "blatant terrorist" attacks on the schools in order to terrorize children, spread panic among them and deprive them from enjoying their educational rights, the statement said.