A firebomb attack against police in Karbabad on 16 April left one policemen dead and two others seriously wounded. The police were reportedly trying to restore order during a bout of rioting in the locality when they were surrounded and pelted with firebombs.
The opposition frequently condones the use of firebombs as if this is a legitimate device to be using during protests and rioting. However, alongside police who have been killed in such attacks, there are hundreds of security personnel who have been hospitalized with severe burns and whose lives have never been the same again.
Following this incident, Al-Wefaq Islamic Society issued a statement in which it said that all kinds of violence are “rejected”. However, the statement claimed to know nothing about what happened, cast doubt on the official version of events and called for an independent investigation. Bahrain does not need an independent investigation to show that radicalized youths throw firebombs at the police every week, with the intention of killing and maiming.
Vague statements which reject violence in the most general terms are meaningless. Al-Wefaq and its clerical leadership has a duty to speak out against his own supporters who manufacture large quantities of Molotov Cocktails in their own homes with the specific intention of going out and attacking police.”
The use of such offensive weapons is calculated to cause maximum injury to people who are doing their job protecting the public. Community leaders, local religious leaders and the opposition must be clear and unconditional in condemning such attacks, particularly as many of these rioters are youths who have been radicalized by opposition militants.
There has been an upsurge in rioting over recent weeks since the death on 4 April of Ali Abdulghani who fell from a window while on the run from police. Al-Wefaq Islamic society and others circulated images of his fallen body in the social media and declared him a martyr. Abdulghani had previously been sentenced to five years in prison for involvement in violence and illegal activity. During his 8 April funeral, rioters once again attacked police with Molotov Cocktails.
By some distance, the demographic most adversely affected by the unrest in Bahrain over the past five years has been the security forces. Most of these courageous men have been killed by explosive devices planted by terrorists, which also resulted in the injury of dozens of police and civilians.
Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of these brave individuals who died protecting the public and who were targeted through no fault of their own.
Security forces personnel killed as a result of terrorist attacks:
- Policeman Mohammed Tanwir killed in firebomb attack which also seriously injured two of his colleagues in Karbabad on 16 April 2016.
- Police officer Wajdi Saleh killed in a terrorist bombing in Karranah on 28 August 2015.
- Naweed Ahmed Nazar – killed in terrorist blast in Sitra on 28 July 2015.
- Hamid Rasool Arif – killed in terrorist blast in Sitra on 28 July 2015.
- Jordanian policeman Ali Mohammed Ali killed by explosion in Dumistan (8 December 2014) while stationed in Bahrain on an exchange programme.
- Policeman Mahmoud Fareed (4 July 2014) – Killed by terrorist blast in East Al-Eker.
- Tariq al-Shuhi – killed 3 March 2014 in an explosion in Al-Daih
- Ammar al-Dhalei – killed 3 March 2014 in an explosion in Al-Daih
- Mohammed Arslan – killed 3 March 2014 in an explosion in Al-Daih
- Abd-al-Wahid al-Balooshi (15 March 2014) – killed in bombing attack in Al-Dair
- Policeman Muhammad Amir Abdulkhaliq (18 September 2013) – died of his injuries caused by a bomb.
- Policeman Yasser Dhaib (6 July 2013) – killed by a homemade bomb explosion.
- Policeman Mohammed Asif Khan (14 February 2013) – shot with a flare gun at close range.
- Policeman Imran Ahmed Mohammed (18 October 2012) – hit by an “explosive projectile” in Al-Eker.
- Policeman Ghulam Mustafa died of burns on 25 October 2012 following firebomb attack on 22 April.
- Ali al-Miraisi (16 March) – killed during February – March 2011 unrest
- Mohammed al-Balooshi (16 March) – killed during February – March 2011 unrest
- Kashef Mundher (16 March) – killed during February – March 2011 unrest
- Aziz Jumaa Ayyad (24 March) – killed during February – March 2011 unrest
- Jawad Shamlan (20 March) – killed during February – March 2011 unrest