Manama: explosion in Shiite village kills police officer. Sunni authorities denounce "terrorism"
Manama (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The police officer injured in an "terrorist" bombing in a Shiite majority village
in Bahrain yesterday evening died this
morning just before dawn .
In an official statement, General Tariq
al-Hassan, head of national security
in the small Persian Gulf emirate,
reported that "the policeman Mahmoud
Farid died from the injuries"
sustained in the attack that hit the village of Ekar-East,
a predominantly Shiite area a short distance from the capital Manama.
The authorities have opened an
investigation to identify and
punish those responsible, even if there are no further news on the authors of the attack or reasons behind incident.
Bahrain, an ally of Washington and supported by Riyadh, has been swept by continuous protests - and
repeated episodes of violence - since the beginning of
2011, when the first wave of Arab
Spring protests crossed many countries
of North Africa and the Middle
East. The main agitators of dissent are the Shiite majority, victims of exploitation
and abuse, who are calling for more freedom and recognition from the government
elite (Sunnis).
In recent months attacks against the police considered close to the
regime have intensified in Bahrain. These include bomb attacks
and explosions which left several people dead and injured; the country
is experiencing a political
stalemate, with the opposition calling
for the birth of a true constitutional
monarchy, while those in power refuse any concessions or
opening. To stop the protests,
in 2013 the authorities increased the
penalties against protesters by
introducing the death penalty or life
imprisonment in the case of
deaths or injuries.
Meanwhile, neighboring Saudi Arabia is facing internal
drifts linked to Islamic
terrorism: This morning two members
of al Qaeda blew themselves up
near a government compound, after being surrounded by
security forces. So far, there are no details on this
story, however, it confirms the
problems related to domestic terrorism that Saudi Arabia is facing.
The Saudi government, in fact, is
pursuing an ambivalent policy
regards its battle against domestic terrorism, but is
one of the major financers of the international
jihadist fighters and groups linked to al
Qaeda as has long been the case in
Syria.
Indeed, a recent study
published by the Pew Research Center,
a prestigious American center of studies, conducted between April 10 and May 25, shows that
the fear of Islamic extremism is growing in countries with a majority Muslim population, particularly in the Middle East.
The study also reveals that groups like Boko Haram and al-Qaeda but also Hamas and Hezbollah are seeing a drop in support, as well as a significantly decrease in support for suicide bombings that target civilians.
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22/05/2017 09:07
