MANAMA – Bahrain police have arrested eight members of a terrorist cell linked to Iran and other countries. A statement posted Sunday on the Interior Ministry's website said the suspected terror network received training and financial support from Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Minister of Interior Lt. General Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa addressed the nation in a televised speech on the recent escalation of street violence targeting policemen as well as public and private properties. “Over the past few days, Bahrain has witnessed an escalation in violence against police and the state. This has resulted in the death of two people and injuries to 75 police officers and two civilians, and considerable damage to public as well as private property. This is a sad day for the nation as we see members of our own community trying to undermine the nation's stability,” said the minister. He also mentioned the discovery of a 2-kg bomb that was defused by competent authorities at the King Fahd Causeway. He urged citizens to renounce violence and to refrain from taking part in criminal activities. “The Public Security Force is committed to maintaining order in the face of any and all provocations or attacks. We seek the support of all good citizens of Bahrain and we continue to perform our security mission under the leadership of the King and with support from the government led by the Prime Minister and the backing of the Crown Prince we will prevail and survive these challenging times,” said Sheikh Rashid. Meanwhile, Senior Public Attorney Abdurrahman Al-Sayyed announced the completion of the investigations into the explosives factory discovered in Salmabad area. Nine of the accused – four of whom have already been detained and five who are still at large – were referred to court on charges of joining an illegal organization for the purpose of breaching public order, jeopardizing Bahrain's integrity and security and exploiting terrorism as one of its means to achieve such purposes. – SG
