Authorities have accused Sheikh Isa Qassim, sentenced Sunday to a suspended one-year jail term for illegal fundraising and money laundering
Bahrain police raided a town that is home to a prominent Shiite cleric facing possible deportation, arresting 286 people in an assault in which officers fired tear gas and shotguns at protesters. At least five demonstrators were killed and others wounded. The Interior Ministry said Tuesday’s operation targeting Diraz, home to Sheikh Isa Qassim and a long-running sit-in supporting him, was to “maintain security and public order.” It called the area a “haven for wanted fugitives from justice.” Activists shared photographs and videos showing youths throwing stones and climbing on an armoured personnel carrier. Gunfire could be heard in one video as white smoke from tear gas hung in the air. Another video showed a bulldozer smashing through the area that once hosted the sit-in. Police arrested 286 people, including “terrorists and convicted felons” who hid inside of Qassim’s home, the Interior Ministry said. It said 19 members of the island’s security forces were wounded in the raid that saw protesters throw gasoline bombs. “Forces were able to remove a series of illegal road blocks and barricades, ” the ministry said in a statement.
