Bahrain police fire on Shia protest, one reported dead

Bahraini police opened fire yesterday on a protest by supporters of a top Shia cleric, with at least one demonstrator reported dead in the latest unrest to hit the Sunni-ruled Gulf state.

The Britain-based Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD) announced the "tragic death of a peaceful protester in the crackdown" in Diraz, the scene of a long-running sit-in outside the home of cleric Isa Qassim.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Eyewitnesses told AFP multiple civilians were wounded when police opened fire at demonstrators throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces.

Police arrested several people wanted by the authorities, the interior ministry said.

Qassim is considered the spiritual leader of Bahrain's majority Shia community.

The kingdom has been rocked by unrest since 2011, when local authorities backed by a Saudi military force crushed Shia-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

Authorities have accused Qassim, sentenced Sunday to a suspended one-year jail term for illegal fundraising and money laundering, of serving "foreign interests" and promoting "sectarianism and violence".

A court last year stripped him of his citizenship, sparking repeated sit-ins outside his residence in Diraz.

Bahrain's interior ministry said yesterday it had "launched a security operation in the village of Diraz to preserve security and civil order as the site is a safe haven for fugitives."

Bahraini authorities have accused Iran of fomenting unrest in the kingdom, ruled for more than two centuries by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty. Tehran has consistently denied involvement.

The government's clampdown on dissent has drawn harsh condemnation from international rights groups and governments.