Situation tense in Bahrain after deadly Diraz raid

The situation in Bahrain is tense one day after the Manama regime forces violently stormed into the house of prominent religious scholar, Ayatollah Sheikh Isa Qassim and killed some of his supporters.

According to Press TV, on Tuesday, regime forces broke into Sheikh Qassim’s residence in the village of Diraz, martyring at least five people and wounding dozens more.

They fired birdshot and teargas to disperse supporters of the clergyman and detained 286 of them. Reports said 19 policemen were also injured in the clashes.

In the evening, several parts of Bahrain witnessed protests against the Diraz attack. The demonstrators expressed their solidarity with Sheikh Qassim and the victims of Tuesday’s raid.

In a show of support for the Bahraini nation’s cause, Iraqi nationals held demonstrations outside Bahrain's Embassy in Baghdad and its Consulate in Najaf to denounce the deadly Diraz raid.

The protests were called by Iraqi influential religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, the al-Sumaria news website reported.

The participants in the Najaf rally called on Manama to end Ayatollah Sheikh Qassim’s house arrest.

Additionally, 154 Iranian lawmakers strongly condemned the Bahraini regime's crimes and the verdict against Sheikh Qassim.

“Unfortunately, the Bahraini administration has issued a cruel ruling against Sheikh Qassim... based on false charges in an unwise and sectarian move,” the MPs said in a statement.

The statement added that the Iranian nation is gravely concerned about Qassim’s verdict and Tuesday’s raid on Diraz, which took place after US President Donald Trump’s trip to the region, and with the green light of the US and UK as well as the Saudi support.

It further warned that the Al Khalifah regime’s continuation of its “anti-religion, inhumane” policies as well as Manama’s disregard of people’s legitimate demands would have “unpredictable consequences.”

SS