MANAMA, 3 May 2006 — Bahrainis woke up yesterday to discover that at least four camouflaged and battle-ready mechanized squads had been deployed across the country, including one in the capital itself.
The squads were placed in open areas, fully camouflaged and guarded, but visible to the public from main roads and bridges. The deployment, the first of its kind, was said to be for training purposes.
“The military is testing new telecommunication equipment,” said a senior Bahraini official. Squads were spread across Sitra, Muharraq, and Riffa in addition to the capital.
Tension in Bahrain has risen in the past week after a number of attacks on police, deliberate arson, and the setting-off a number of home-made sound bombs.
Two Bahraini policemen were injured late on April 29 when their patrol car near Karanah village north of Manama came under attack by masked youths hurling Molotov cocktails. The attack resulted in injuries to both policemen. Their car was also destroyed when it crashed into a nearby roundabout.
The attack was the second by masked youth in the space of three days after a police vehicle was rushed at a red-light and hit by a Molotov cocktail in Sitra, south of the capital, leaving two other policemen injured.
