Manama: Bahrain on Sunday afternoon said its security forces had foiled a terror plot aimed at destabilising the country.
“As part of the Ministry of Interior’s plan to inform the public about the latest security developments and as part of the steady efforts to reinforce security and stability, the security authorities have succeeded in foiling a terror plan to undermine the security of Bahrain through a series of dangerous criminal operations,” the interior ministry said.
Investigations led to the arrest of several people involved in recent acts of terror in Bahrain, the ministry said.
“The suspects were members of the so-called Al Ashtar Brigades and the list of detainees includes field leaders and operation agents implicated in carrying out terror crimes.”
The investigations revealed that the terror group was formed in late 2012 and acted on orders from two leaders aged 26 and 39, who were in Iran, the ministry added.
“The two leaders, involved in several terror operations, recruited two people and tasked them with enlisting members for the so-call Al Ashtar Brigades,” the ministry said.
Ten people aged between 19 and 33 were recruited and the new members of the group were told to target security personnel and to coordinate with the group’s leaders based abroad to obtain explosives and the required support. Nine of the suspects have been arrested.
“Investigations also revealed that three people were in late 2014 helped out of Bahrain towards Iraq, where they received military training on making and planting explosives and on using weapons,” the statement said. “Two other people were this year given assistance to reach Iraq to receive military training in the making of explosives and the use of weapons as part of their membership of the terror group,” the ministry said.
The detainees’ confessions revealed that the members of Al Ashtar Brigade were given military training in Iraq by the so-called Hezbollah Brigades.
“The training included the use of Kalashnikov guns, PKC [machine gun] and RBG [machine gun],” the ministry said. “The exercises also included using C4 and TNT explosives, abduction, sniper training, shooting, handling guns, and the usage of mortars and detonators,” the ministry said.
“The General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science has taken the required legal steps in the case and referred it to the Public Prosecution.”
Last month, Bahrain police said they had arrested a group of individuals suspected of plotting and carrying out a series of terrorist attacks in the kingdom.
“Some of those arrested have previously been convicted in absentia on terrorism charges and have, in some cases, received life sentences,” the statement issued by the interior ministry said.
A large stockpile of items that could be used for terror attacks was seized during the investigation, including high explosives, from houses in the areas of Janusan to the west of the capital Manama and Sitra to the south.
“The careless stockpiling of the volatile explosives endangered the lives and property of those in the vicinity,” the ministry said.
“The investigation and surveillance of the suspects were conducted by a joint task force from a number of security agencies that had been created to support the efforts of the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science. As soon as it was determined that the explosive materials posed a danger to the residents and nearby homes, legal warrants were obtained from the Public Prosecution and the locations were raided.”