AFP – Bahrain’s king called on citizens on Tuesday to cooperate with the authorities to arrest “terrorists” who carried out a series of bombings that killed two Asian expatriates, state news agency BNA reported.

King Hamad ordered “the swift arrest of the terrorists who carried out the recent terrorist acts in Bahrain” and urged citizens to help “bring them to justice so they receive their punishment over this appalling act,” BNA said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa said “the terrorists and vandals plotting against Bahrain will receive their punishment and the inciters will be held responsible for what happened.”

“The government will not allow a stray group to destroy the nation, threaten and terrorise safe citizens,” said Khalifa, who hailed “security forces who are doing their duties to the best of their ability and who have our full support.”

Five explosions in the capital’s districts of Gudaibiya and Adliya on Monday killed two Asian expatriates and wounded a third, police said.

Authorities have not yet given details of the intended targets of the blasts or who might be responsible.

Bahrain’s main Shiite opposition group Al-Wefaq condemned the attacks but cautioned that “due to the absence of independent human rights and media groups, it is difficult to clearly determine the truth behind the incidents.”

Meanwhile, Amnesty International called for a thorough and impartial probe into the attacks and for bringing those responsible to justice. However, it urged the authorities to avoid sentencing the assailants to death.

Sporadic protests have intensified since a March 2011 crackdown ended a month of demonstrations in central Manama demanding democratic reforms.

According to the International Federation for Human Rights, 80 people have died in Bahrain since the start of the violence on February 14 last year.

Bahrain’s interior ministry says more than 700 people, including a number of police officers, have been wounded in the protests since the beginning of 2012.