Police attack anti-regime protesters near eastern Bahrain village

Saudi-backed Bahraini forces have attacked anti-regime protesters attempting to enter a besieged village in the east of the country.

The security forces used toxic teargas canisters and rubber bullets to prevent the protesters from breaking the now-four-day-long siege of the village of Eker.

Several protesters were arrested and dozens more injured in violent clashes with the regime forces.

Meanwhile, the Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, a Cairo-based NGO devoted to promoting freedom of expression across the Middle East and North Africa, condemned the Manama regime’s use of systematic violence against peaceful demonstrators.

On Monday, clashes erupted between regime forces and protesters near the village, during which at least three human rights activists, including Zainab al-Khawaja, the daughter of jailed opposition leader, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, were arrested.

Khawaja said earlier that the protesters were taking food and medical supplies to the village’s residents.

Bahrain’s revolution began in mid-February 2011 when oppression-weary public, inspired by popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, started holding massive demonstrations against the ruling regime.

The Bahraini government promptly launched a brutal crackdown on the peaceful protests and called in Saudi-led Arab forces from neighboring Persian Gulf states to help crack down on the demonstrations.