MANAMA: Twelve men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder will stand trial in connection with a spate of bombings in the Bahrain Northern Governorate over the past two years.
The Bahrainis are accused of repeatedly luring policemen into ambushes by setting up illegal road blocks and staging riots along the Janabiya Highway and in Al Qurayyah village, reported a local daily.
Hidden explosives were then remotely detonated as officers approached to clear the debris, according to Advocate-General and Chief Prosecutor of terror crimes prosecution Ahmed Al Hammadi.
'The Public Prosecution has concluded its investigations into the case of a terrorist group that targeted policemen with multiple explosions in Al Qurayyah and along the Janabiya Highway,' he said.
'They carried out six bomb blasts during 2013 and 2014. They planted bombs before luring officers by staging riots and setting rubbish and tyres ablaze on the highway.
'They then remotely detonated the bombs, using a mobile phone, when officers were removing the debris. Several officers were injured in the attacks and both police patrol vehicles and civilian cars were damaged.'
Another two suspects, identified as Asian in the statement, have also been arrested in connection with the attacks.
'The two Asian suspects, including one who worked for one of the accused, obtained the mobile phone SIM cards that were used in the attacks,' said Mr Al Hammadi.
'One of them used another person's identity and forged his signature on the SIM card contracts.
'All suspects were arrested and firearms, ammunition and tools used to make explosives were found in the possession of some of them.'
More bomb-making materials and weapons were found hidden in two local ma'atams as well as among the scrub on some waste ground, he explained.
'The weapons were confiscated after a search warrant was issued by the Public Prosecution.'
The 12 Bahraini suspects, who are in custody, are accused of attempted murder, causing explosions, possessing bombs and arson. The two Asian suspects stand accused of forging official documents to obtain SIM cards.
All will stand trial on April 7 at the High Criminal Court, where confessions, forensic evidence and DNA samples will be submitted as evidence.
Peninsula
