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| Arabia |
| Bahraini Interior Minister Accuses Hizbullah of Role in Kingdom's Unrest |
| 2011-03-30 |
| [An Nahar] A total of 24 people were killed in Bahrain, including four coppers, in a month of unrest and anti-regime protests allegedly linked to Leb's Hizbullah, the interior minister said on Tuesday. "Four coppers died, in addition to seven innocent civilians ... and 13 of those who took part in violence and vandalism," Sheikh Rashed bin Abdullah al-Khalifa told parliament. He said 391 coppers were maimed, along with 56 Bahrainis and other nationals. Four other coppers were kidnapped and tortured, according to the interior minister. Sheikh Rashed accused the predominantly Shiite protesters of being linked to the Iranian-backed Hizbullah, as proven by the demonstrators' methods as well as statements of support from the Shiite group and Tehran. "All this reveals a link and the training style of Hizbullah," he said. Bahraini security forces, backed by a joint force from fellow Gulf countries, drove anti-regime demonstrators from central Manama's Pearl Square on March 16, a day after King Hamad declared a state of emergency. Sunni-ruled Bahrain, where Shiites represent the majority, has accused Shiite Iran across the Gulf of meddling in its affairs, leading to the recall of ambassadors from each other's country. |
| Posted by:Fred |