Religious figures must unequivocally condemn terrorist acts that threaten the stability of Bahrain, the country’s Justice Ministry says.

The statement came hours after Bahrain’s security chief outlined three terrorism attempts foiled by security officers that resulted in the arrests of 13 people, Gulf News reported Tuesday.

The thwarted terror attempts “would have marked an ominous move towards a more dangerous phase of terror and any failure to assume the religious, patriotic and moral responsibility towards them would be a betrayal of the religion and the homeland,” the ministry said.

“Preserving lives and blood represents one of the highest purposes of religion and everyone has to assume their responsibility.”

Imams should “condemn terrorism from the religious, legal and human points of view,” the ministry said.

The foiled terror incidents involved a boat chase at sea, seizure of ammunition at a warehouse and a car bomb defused in the capital Manama.