DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – Bahrain police raided a town Tuesday that is home to a prominent Shiite cleric facing the threat of deportation, arresting 50 people in an assault that saw officers fire tear gas and shotguns at protesters. At least one demonstrator was killed and others wounded, activists said.
Bahrain’s Interior Ministry said the 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 armored 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 50 people, including “terrorists and convicted felons” who hid inside of Qassim’s home, the Interior Ministry said. It said some 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. “Police remain deployed in the area to ensure the safety of people.”