Bahrain claimed on Saturday it had uncovered a 54-member Iran-linked militant group, suspected of involvement in attacks on security forces, including organizing a prison break in January.
One of the biggest security operations against suspected militants has been blamed by Bahrain for an increase in armed attacks on security forces in the western-allied kingdom, Reuters reported. Tensions have been rising in the kingdom since last year after authorities stepped up a crackdown on dissent, banning the main opposition group al-Wefaq, arresting a leading activist and critic of the government and revoking the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the country’s majority Shias.
State news agency BNA on Saturday quoted the chief prosecutor, Ahmed al-Hammadi, as saying that security forces have arrested 25 members and seized 11 pistols and Kalashnikov rifles in a series of operations.
Hammadi also claimed an investigation into the January prison break revealed that a Germany-based leader of the group had helped organize trips for members from Bahrain to Iran and Iraq for training.
