Bahrain has been hit by rioting in majority Shiite areas for a fifth consecutive day in demonstrations that have seen the death of one protester, local press reports said on Sunday. Security forces have fired teargas and rubber bullets in Shiite villages during riots that erupted following the death on Monday of a young protester who died after a demonstration organised by the opposition, they said.
The 22-year-old man died in hospital after being taken ill at his home following the protest at Jid Hafs, during which he inhaled teargas, an opposition activist told AFP. Security sources cited by the official Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said the man had died of natural causes.
The Al-Wasat newspaper on Sunday reported a statement by the independent Bahrain Human Rights Association that security agents had made 39 arrests and around a dozen people had been wounded during the protests.
Al-Ayyam daily said that the number of arrests "does not exceed 20 people." It quoted an interior ministry official as saying those detained were accused of "setting fire to a police car and stealing weapons in the Jid Hafs area."
© 2007 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
