Policeman killed in prison attack in Bahrain

By Ahmed al-Masri

MANAMA (AA) - A policeman was killed on Sunday when armed men attacked a prison in Bahrain, freeing several inmates convicted of terror crimes, according to the country’s interior ministry.

In a statement, the ministry said gunmen attacked the Jaw reform and rehabilitation center south-east of Manama and killed a policeman.

The attack “has resulted in the escape of a number of inmates convicted of terror offenses,” it said.

It remains unclear how many inmates have escaped.

The ministry said efforts were underway “to hunt down the terrorist elements involved and the escapees."

Bahrain was rocked by revolt in 2011, when pro-democracy protests erupted in the tiny Gulf state as part of that year’s “Arab Spring” uprisings.

The Sunni-led government blames Al-Wefaq, the country’s largest opposition movement, for the upheaval, accusing the Shia party of pursuing an “Iranian agenda”.

Al-Wefaq, for its part, denies the allegations, saying it wants to see the establishment of a “constitutional government” in the small Gulf kingdom.