Bahrain forces raid home of top Shiite cleric

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Bahrain's main opposition on Friday accused government troops of raiding the home of the country's leading Shiite cleric, and warned that authorities will bear responsibility for this "dangerous" act. The Shiite Al-Wefaq movement levelled the accusations in a statement and distributed pictures of what it said was damage caused at the home of Ayatollah Issa Qassem in the town of Diraz, west of Manama. There was no immediate confirmation from the Sunni-ruled government of Bahrain -- home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet. "Dozens of armed troops, accompanied by masked civilian forces, stormed the home of Ayatollah Issa Qassem at dawn on Friday... damaging property and terrorising women and children," Al-Wefaq said in its statement. Qassem was not at home at the time of the raid, Al-Wefaq said, adding that government forces gave no reason for the operation. "The Bahraini regime... will bear full responsibility for this dangerous act," it said. Qassem is know for his support of protesters who have been waging demonstrations against the ruling Sunni monarchy in Shiite-majority Bahrain since February 2011. A total of 80 people have been killed since the protests erupted, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.