World

Iran harboring 160 terrorists: Bahrain

October 18, 2017

DUBAI — Bahrain's interior minister, in an interview published Wednesday, accused Iran of harboring 160 Bahrainis convicted of terrorism and stripped of their citizenship.

All 160 "fugitives" had been stripped of citizenship in "terrorism cases" targeting Bahraini police and security forces, Sheikh Rashed Al-Khalifa told the Arabic-language daily Asharq Al-Awsat.

He accused Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards of having trained the group, who were convicted of attacks that killed 25 security personnel and wounded 3,000 others, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Al-Khalifa also lauded the announcement of US Secretary of Defense James Mattis that Washington would surely dissuade Iran from shipping explosives to Bahrain.

According to the Bahraini interior minister, there is evidence that Iran has shipped 24 kg of explosive materials to Bahrain and it logistically and financially supported terrorist members to carry out terrorist acts against Bahrain and its people.

He said there is a direct relationship between Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and terrorist activities in Bahrain.

“Bahrain faced the threat of terrorism and was able to foil many terrorist acts. Physical evidence and strategic information proved the involvement of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards in training terrorist members in Iranian camps on the use of explosives and automatic rifles and contributing to the smuggling of those weapons to Bahrain,” Al-Khalifa said.

He added that some arrested suspects have already admitted into being trained on the use of weapons in the military camps run by the Revolutionary Guards, and that their ages range between 20 and 40.

US President Donald Trump has eased restrictions on arms sales to Bahrain, which on Tuesday announced it had signed a $3.8 billion deal with US company Lockheed Martin to acquire 16 upgraded F-16 fighters.

Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet and a British army base is currently under construction. — Agencies


October 18, 2017
80 views
HIGHLIGHTS
World
22 minutes ago

South Africa's ex-president Zuma involved in car crash

World
2 hours ago

KFC Nigeria sorry after wheelchair user refused service at Lagos airport

World
2 hours ago

India gangster-politician dies after cardiac arrest