Mosque attacked in Bahrain crackdown

A mosque in northern Bahrain was partially destroyed while a number of activists were arrested in the latest crackdown by security forces, a rights group and an opposition political party said on Monday.

In three days of clashes beginning on Friday, Bahraini police used shotgun pellets, sound grenades and batons to suppress protests, according to the opposition Al-Wefaq movement.

At least ten protesters were arrested, while around two dozen houses were raided by police, the party said.

Said Yousif, deputy leader of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, said a mosque in the northern village of Jannusan was badly damaged after police threw tear gas inside.

"They have been attacking anyone and they have closed all the roads to the planned protests," he said.

"They even targeted one Shia mosque in Jannusan, they put a lot of tear gas inside and burned it."

Yousif said 15 people were arrested, slightly higher than Al-Wefaq's estimate, and 10 had been seriously injured.

Meanwhile, the country's high court on Sunday postponed the trial of a number of police officers accused of killing a protester last year.

Fadel Al-Matrook died in February 2011 after being hit in the back and chest by bird pellet gunshots fired at close range from two meters.

The officers have been charged with unintentional killing, but Al-Wefaq MP Mattar Ebrahim said the charges were ridiculous, and called for them to stand trial for murder.

"The Court has not charged any of the police officers with intentional murder in spite of the (evidence) that the firing was from a short distance."

"In regards to the targeting of opposition leaders, the (public) prosecutor has not questioned or addressed the names of the officers who committed the targeting," he added.

Bahrain's dictatorship, backed by regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia and key ally the United States, have continued to put down pro-democracy protests since an uprising broke out in February 2011.

(Al-Akhbar)