Bahrain forces attack protesting worshipers in Manama

Bahraini security forces have attacked a group of worshipers outside a mosque in the capital, Manama, amid rising tensions over the recent arrest of a top Shia opposition leader in the kingdom.

According to reports, the Bahraini worshipers were holding a protest rally after the evening prayers on Thursday to voice their anger at the arrest of Sheikh Ali Salman, the head of the al-Wefaq National Islamic Society.

However, regime forces intervened with tear gas and rubber bullets to break up the gathering. Dozens of worshipers were also arrested in the crackdown.

Tensions have been running high in Bahrain since Sheikh Salman was taken into custody on December 28. The opposition leader was remanded in custody on Tuesday for a week for further questioning.

Al-Wefaq has described any move against Salman as serious and uncalculated adventurism, which would complicate the political and security landscape in the Persian Gulf country.

On December 30, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on the Manama regime to release Sheikh Salman.

The European Union has also warned that the arrest of the al-Wefaq leader “carries the risk of jeopardizing an already difficult political and security situation.”

Bahrain has been witnessing almost daily protests against the Al Khalifa dynasty since early 2011, when an uprising began in the kingdom. Since then, thousands of protesters have held numerous rallies in the streets of Bahrain, calling on the Al Khalifa royal family to relinquish power.