Bahrain: Terror Blast Injures 5 Policemen

The body of a riot police officer lies on the road as other officers tend to him after a bomb exploded in 2014 (Reuters)
The body of a riot police officer lies on the road as other officers tend to him after a bomb exploded in 2014 (Reuters)
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Bahrain: Terror Blast Injures 5 Policemen

The body of a riot police officer lies on the road as other officers tend to him after a bomb exploded in 2014 (Reuters)
The body of a riot police officer lies on the road as other officers tend to him after a bomb exploded in 2014 (Reuters)

Five policemen were injured in a terror blast while securing Ashoora procession on Budaiya Highway in Daih, while no one claimed the responsibility for it.

The bombing targeted forces securing the participants in Ashoora procession, and as soon the occasion was over, a bomb on the side of the road remotely exploded, a source informed Asharq Al-Awsat.

The source also stated that the occasion was used by Iranian officials who called for illegal processions and walks in Daih, Duraz, and other villages.

Hezbollah’s secretary general Hasan Nasrallah delivered a speech instigating against the kingdom of Bahrain and described the Bahraini people as the oppressed people living in a prison.

Ministry of Interior announced that five policemen were injured in a terror blast while securing Ashoora procession on Budaiya Highway in Daih.

The ministry reiterated on its official Twitter account that the necessary steps are being taken.

In 2014, a terrorist explosion occurred in Daih killing an Emirati officer and two Bahraini policemen after a bomb exploded on the side of the road.

Capital Governor Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa condemned the terror blast that injured five policemen, expressing full confidence in the capability of the security authorities to reveal the circumstances of the terror crime and those behind it to bring them to justice.

The governor asserted that this terror blast didn’t respect the holiness of the month of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic Calendar.

The governor said that the terror blast was condemned by all conventions, legislation, developed countries and international organizations.

A Saudi official source at the Foreign Ministry condemned the terrorist bombing which injured several policemen in the Bahraini capital of Manama.

The source confirmed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's support for the Kingdom of Bahrain against these acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing its security and stability and intimidating its people.

General Secretariat of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed strong condemnation of the terrorist bombing which took place on Monday. The attack targeted security forces while carrying out their duties, resulting in injuries among them.

OIC Secretary-General Yousef al-Othaimeen expressed solidarity with the government of Bahrain in its response to all acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing its security and stability, terrorizing innocent civilians and damaging public property.

Othaimeen emphasized the organization's principled and firm position, which strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.



Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.