Bahraini troops close in on protesters

Bahraini army troops have besieged mourning demonstrators in the northeastern village of Ma'ameer as the Persian Gulf state sees more violence against anti-government protests.


This was the latest in a string of mourning ceremonies held for the people killed by security forces in the government's crackdown on opposition demonstrations.

Hundreds more have been arrested or gone missing since the crackdown, according to Bahrain Center for Human Rights, as well as the country's largest Shia opposition group, Al-Wefaq.

The party's 11 lawmakers have all resigned to protest the use of deadly force against protesters.

The Bahraini parliament, which is the country's only elected body and holds limited authority, has accepted their resignation.

Bahrain's main opposition bloc, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, said on Monday that 250 people have been detained and 44 others gone missing in since a brutal crackdown of protesters earlier in the month.

On March 13, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar dispatched armed forces to crisis-hit Bahrain upon a request by Manama to help quash anti-government protests in the kingdom.

The move highlighted concerns among Arab leaders of a possible spillover of an anti-regime uprising from the country, where month-old protest rallies seek to break the Western-backed government's monopoly on power.

Foreign military interventions in Bahrain raised concerns in the United Nations, where Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for a meaningful and broad-based national dialogue.

Ban has also urged Bahrain's regional neighbors and the international community to support a dialogue process and an environment conducive to credible reform in Bahrain.

Bahraini demonstrators maintain that they will hold their ground until their demands for freedom, constitutional monarchy as well as a proportional voice in the government are met.

At least 20 people have so far been killed and about 1,000 others have been injured since anti-government protests in the Persian Gulf island nation began in mid-February.